


Wrath

by yeolimerent



Series: Sinners Trilogy [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angry Sex, BaekYeol - Freeform, CEO Park Chanyeol, ChanBaek - Freeform, Childhood Sweethearts, Drama, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Heavy Angst, Husbands, M/M, Married Chanbaek, Mentions of Murder, Minor Character Death, Revenge, Romance, Sebaek - Freeform, Seven Deadly Sins, Sinners, Smut, Thriller, Time Skips, but again it's just three, kinda martyr baekhyun, psychopathy, wrath - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-08-14 09:43:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 206,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20190226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolimerent/pseuds/yeolimerent
Summary: Baekhyun woke up one day and the man he loved for years was an entirely different person. He was blinded by one thing-revenge.Revenge through Baekhyun.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is the second one of Sinners trilogy. This has been completed this year and is posted on both my Wattpad and AFF accounts though some people are requesting for me to post it here as well. The last one of this trilogy (Pride) is currently ongoing and will be updated on this platform too.
> 
> I'm still deciding whether I'll post the complete story here, so if it's not too much to ask, I hope you can leave some comments and kudos for little motivation hehe thank you!
> 
> ** Disclaimer: ** the stories in this series are entirely different au's, please don't be confused.  
** and again, please don't worry about the first person's POV because it's only for the prologue. :-) **

The fire of rage within him has been keeping him alive through the years. And when I came, I thought I could finally wash this fire away from him.

But then for him, _I fueled it even more._

* * *

"Yeol, _please_..." I pleaded while catching my breath.

He thrusts deeper. I feel my fingers becoming numb because of how hard he pins my wrist.

I let out another yell. My eyes shut close because of pain and exhaustion.

"_Y-Yeol..._" I cried.

"_Shut up!_" he yelled roughly against my ear. My legs are uncontrollably shaking because of the fast movements he makes between them.

I bit my lip so I could suppress another loud cry. _Just stay still. Stay still. _I hear a familiar voice inside my head. It gave me the comfort I need.

But not what I want.

"Ah, fuck!" he cussed loudly as he reached his peak, starting to move in a slower pace.

I let out a shaking breath before trying to open my eyes again. As I do, my eyes caught his. But when I was just about to read them, he then removed his gaze. Like I was non existent again.

Quickly, he slid through his pants. He didn't even bother buckling his belt tightly. As soon as he covered his nakedness, he walked out the room without sparing me another glance.

"W-wait..." my voice is still shaking. I called for him, not that loud. But the door was slammed shut. I don't know if he heard, but either way he will never look back.

"Your watch..." I whispered, even if I know he wouldn't hear it. I picked up the watch he left. It was shining as the lamp lights reflect on it. It's a hundred – thousand dollar worth. But why would he care? He's too eager to leave this room to even give a single damn about his belongings.

_Especially me._

"Mister Byun?" I immediately covered myself with the comforter as the head maid opens the door. Shock was evident on her face but it immediately goes back to normal whenever she's hit by the realization about how often this happens.

I faced the other side to quickly wipe the tears on my cheeks. I faced her again, smiling.

"Sorry... my flu just got worse, I don't even know how it happened..." I faked a smile and I knew she didn't even believe a single word I said. Everyone here knows. _They all know._

She looks at me with that _familiar eyes. _She looked at me with so much sympathy.

"Mister, were you hur―" her voice shook but I didn't let her finish.

"I'm good... Please don't ask anymore." I couldn't even recognize my own voice as I stood up, "I―I'll just take a shower, I'll eat later." I said, not looking at her as I made my way to the bathroom, my eyes pooling with hot tears.

I signed up for this. I have no regrets.

If this is how you can forget that fire raging in your heart, then I'll be glad to kill that flame.

_Even if I end up burning._


	2. 1-Alpha

_"_ _Ahn_ _ Baekhyun?"_

The man sitting on one of the chairs of the lobby looks up. His hands are clasped on his lap while he bites his lower lip.

The girl from the front desk looks around, unable to spot where the owner of the name is. When he realized that waiting for her to notice him will be futile, he reluctantly stands up and flashes a timid smile.

As the woman finally spots him, her gaze travels from his head to toe. She looks back to the screen with the same stoic expression on her face, making him gulp.

"Are you sure you got an appointment?" she flashes a formal smile but the way her brows raise tells him she's in doubt.

"H-He..." he gulps when he stuttered, "He told me to come here at 2PM..."

He hears how she faintly clicks her tongue when she goes through her list again, sighing in impatience.

"The Chairman has a meeting with the branch managers until 3." she says, "After that, he'll meet big clients in Seoul, it ends at 6." she glances back to where the boy stands.

He tries to open his mouth but no words came out.

_How am I supposed to explain when I don't understand either?_

The tall and elegant walls around him together with the people in their best suits, make him feel even smaller. He badly wants to leave. He doesn't belong here.

"I-I'll just wait for him, until he's done." he says without waiting for her answer. He walks back to the chair where he was sitting a while ago. He didn't look back at the woman who's obviously watching him in confusion and annoyance. When she realized he's really serious about waiting, she shakes her head and goes back to answering calls.

He taps his feet on the ground, glancing at his wristwatch every now and then as every minute passes. He doesn't know how long he'll still be waiting, or if he's still waiting for someone.

_God, why are you even here? _He asks himself when another twenty minutes passed. _Just another thirty minutes...then I'm leaving._

True enough, the clock's hand strikes to the thirtieth minute since his mantra. He looks around, still unable to see any sign of presence of the person he's looking for. He takes a deep breath before getting up from his seat. He sees how the woman sarcastically smiles at him, as if victorious that he just wasted his time.

As soon as he puts the strap of his sling bag over his shoulder, there was a sudden attentiveness from the people around. The woman behind the front desk is now standing straight, wearing her best smile. Slowly, he turns around to see that his hunch is right.

Stepping out from the conference room, is an old man in his dark blue suit. His chin tilts up, chest protruding as he walks closer. A bunch of people walks behind him with their equally dashing clothes, the two suited men beside him seem to be the personal guards.

As soon as his intimidating eyes fall on where the young man stands, his pace becomes slower. _Baekhyun― _the young man looks at him with indifference. He remains standing there, wearing a simple pair of pants, old shoes, polo shirt and a sling bag. A getup that made the people look at him with so much ridicule since the moment he stepped here. But now that the Chairman's smile grows bigger when he spots him, the attention of everyone effortlessly falls on him.

"Baekhyun-ah."

The name escaped his lips very gently. His smile is very genuine, Baekhyun will have to agree to that. And he'll be lying if he says he doesn't see the resemblance. It's very uncanny.

He hates it.

_"Mr. Byun." _he bows formally, and he noticed how the smile on the older's face fades for a while. Though it was only a glimpse when he smiles even bigger.

"How long have you been waiting?" he reaches the space beside Baekhyun. The latter stiffens when he feels his hand tapping his back.

"Uh...I just got here." he lies, not meeting his eyes. He doesn't know why he came here. What he's here for. And to be honest, there's a strong urge in him to run away and leave. But he can't. 

So for a moment, Baekhyun reminds himself that he's been preparing long enough for this exact moment. _They prepared. _And he tries to relax and remember everything that he practiced.

The important person looks around and motions them to continue their endeavors, using only his hand. The people around walk to different directions.

_Imagine being that powerful? As if the people around you are robots you can simply motion to start working._

"Pardon me, I had a meeting with the managers." he explains, indirectly implying that he forgot their meeting while still flashing the same warm smile. The irony.

"It's okay..." he swallows the lump in his throat, "I-If you still have an appointment, I can just come ba―"

"Nonsense." the old man chuckles, pulling him towards the front desk where the woman is now staring at them in awe. As much as how mean it sounds, Baekhyun actually wishes he'll be able to enjoy the look on the girl's face now as if she wasn't scowling at him a while ago. But he just couldn't. He despises the situation he's in as much as she does.

"Ms. Nam, cancel all my remaining appointments today. Reschedule them if you must."

"Uhm..." the secretary looks at Baekhyun with hesitation, "But Sir...it's quite important. The clients will be waiting for you in Seoul exactly an hou―"

"Cancel them like what I told you." he repeats that shut her up once and for all. She nods and this time she couldn't look at Baekhyun with so much bravery like she was doing before.

Baekhyun remains looking at the floor. He doesn't know if he can endure and handle this for the rest of the day. But it's exactly like how he imagined it. Like how he has foreseen this to happen.

_Do what you need to do._

"Nothing's more important than my son. Am I making myself clear?"

"I'll introduce the department heads and other employees once you officially start."

The floor lobby he was at hours ago seemed so small to him now. Mr Byun took the time to bring him to the different floors and areas of the building where different processes happen. Though they weren't able to see the most complex work because they're at the main office.

"I can't show it to you yet, but one of these days I'll bring you to the site." he only nods, "These are some of the corporation's branches nationwide. You know how this works, right?"

He nods again. The terms and information he shares are not really new to Baekhyun. He reads about them. He remembers some from his college lectures, but it isn't any less interesting.

"The second biggest site only opened last year." his heart thumps fast against his chest, "Here it is. It's in Jeollanam-do."

Baekhyun looks at the photos where his hand is pointing. It's a familiar place. So familiar...that it left a twisting pang in his chest.

"It was a major investment. The company's sales skyrocketed since we expanded in distant locations. Especially with bigger sites." he smiles but soon stops, "Baekhyun-ah, are you okay?"

Baekhyun's hands are trembling inside his pockets. His lips are pursed while his glistening eyes are still glued to the photos.

"Baekhyun-ah."

"Yes?" he flinches, "S-Sorry...I'm just a little tired."

The Chairman looks at him with concern.

"I understand it's quite a shock...especially because it's all new to you."

He doesn't answer. But he knows it's not about that.

"Baekhyun."

He looks at him when the man demands his attention. He sees his serious face.

"You know how much of a big deal this is, right?"

Baekhyun nods, gulping before he speaks.

"This is Byun Electric Power Enterprises. One of the biggest companies in the country."

The Chairman smiles in satisfaction, as if being able to say and admit it is already a big step.

"In the world, my son." he chuckles, "We light up the whole nation...and even some of the nearest ones. People need us to function everyday. Remember that." he places his hand over his shoulder, "And in this bigger world of business, you should be focused. Know your priorities. Remove things that block your way to success."

Baekhyun looks at him, specifically because of the last words. The man who was filled with warmth a while ago is now like a wolf looking at him with his cunning eyes.

"I wasn't given my name for nothing, son." he smiles.

Baekhyun's shoulders heave, he speaks it under his breath.

"_Alpha_."

The old man looks at him with the same sly smile. As if hearing a kid say a new word successfully. He taps his arm repeatedly.

"We changed your name already. It's no surprise we're taking the next step." he says and recalls the incident a while ago, "You should start using it by now. Stop using your old name." he says and Baekhyun can't help comparing it to the tone he used while ordering his secretary a while ago. It was no different.

"I-I'm..." he gulps, "I'm not used to it."

"Imagine if you used that name a while ago." he raises a brow, "Did you ever think how different they could've treated you?"

Again, he doesn't answer. But he thought about doing that. He was just in the process of accepting that he finally carries a name so...powerful.

"A name changes a lot, Baekhyun." he says, "And in my case, it carries my legacy and power. The things you'll get one day. You are a _Byun_. You have always been. Keep that in mind."

He isn't in a position to disagree. And like how he always does when he's left with no choice, he nods. Despite how much he wanted to spit all the disgust in him.

It looks like he has to keep agreeing as this setup begins.

"I understand."

"Good." he nods before smiling again, "Now let's go to my office. I'd like you to meet someone."

He wasn't informed he'll meet anyone important. All he was told was that the Chairman, _his father, _will meet him after he officially becomes a Byun. Then he'll introduce him to the basics of the company. And then a small dinner, because it's his turn to introduce someone.

That's all.

"I hope you understand that when I haven't found you yet, I had to make sure that someone will be next in line to continue everything I strive for." the sliding doors leading to the only office at the top floor automatically opened as they got closer, "I'm hoping you'll get along with him. After all, he'll mostly be the one to teach you everything you need to learn."

Baekhyun wasn't able to ask further when the Chairman walks ahead of him inside, leaving him standing beside the door. From where he stands, he can see a man in front of the Chairman's desk, his back facing him. The first thing Baekhyun noticed was his broad shoulders, emphasizing his built even more, especially that he's standing against the sunset light from the big window behind the desk. The Chairman taps his back and the arms crossed over his chest eventually move behind him as he bows in courtesy.

Baekhyun tries to get a sight of his face but the darkening sky from the outside forbids him.

"Baekhyun-ah, come over here!"

He blinks for a few times before he realized he's being called to come. When he walks closer, he eventually started to get a glimpse of the man facing the Chairman. When he's almost beside him, the man finally faces him.

"Baekhyun, this is Mr Oh." he comes face to face with a man taller than him, a cold-looking man to be exact, "_Oh Sehun._ He's my apprentice."

He remains where he is, staring blankly at him, not knowing what do. As if the man reads his hesitation, he offers his hand with a curve on his lips.

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Sir."

Baekhyun almost cringes with the formality. He isn't used to having someone bow at him, what more to be called _Sir? _It makes him look so old when in fact, he's not.

Twenty-seven isn't old.

"I'm sure you know my lost son, right?" he smiles at the both of them.

Sehun doesn't remove his gaze from him, making Baekhyun feel so stiff. Nonetheless, he accepts his hand.

"Of course." Sehun says, a sly smile still lingering on his lips, "_Byun Baekhyun, _now found."

_Ahn. _Baekhyun badly wants to correct, but chose to not say it loud.

"He's still very shy." the Chairman explains for him while scanning the papers on the table, "Culture shock, I guess? You know what to do, Sehun."

"Yes." Baekhyun finds himself avoiding his gaze and looking at the window instead. There's just something about the way he stares or maybe he's just being paranoid again, "Very well."

"Tell him what he needs to do." the Chairman loosens the tie around his collar before motioning them, "I need to take this first."

Sehun only nods before glancing back at him. Baekhyun immediately looks down to the floor before he gets caught looking, which seemed to be a little late.

"Have a sit, please Sir." Sehun points the couch on the corner. Baekhyun looks at it before gulping.

"Uhm, just Baekhyun..."

"Sorry?"

"Baekhyun is fine..." he timidly shakes his head, "No need for Sir."

Sehun flashes a lazy grin, nodding his head.

"Just keeping it formal." he shrugs, "But okay, if you say so."

He walks towards the couch while the apprentice follows him behind. He sits on the farthest corner while Sehun sits comfortably wherever his bum falls.

His gaze roams around when they were covered by silence. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Sehun crossing his legs, facing him while his arm lazily rests on the edge of the couch.

"Do you need anything, Sir?" he chuckles when he remembers, "I mean _Baekhyun? _Coffee, juice?"

Baekhyun shakes his head, "I'm fine."

"Feels good to be back?" he smiles.

He doesn't know how to answer this, to be honest. He hopes he doesn't sound so forced but it only seems to fail.

"I'm...still not used to everything."

Sehun nods, "It'll take time. No pressure."

_No pressure. _Baekhyun wants to laugh. _No big deal._

"Where do you live now, by the way?"

He was a bit caught off guard. He blinks a few times before answering.

"Uh...not too far from here."

He was surprised when Sehun wheezes in the middle of his words. He laughs lightly.

"You don't really answer questions specifically, do you?"

Baekhyun awkwardly smiles, suddenly wanting to slap his head. _Too obvious._

"Sorry..."

"No, no, it's fine." Sehun chuckles, "I'm amused."

He didn't answer anymore. He tries to hear the Chairman's conversation but it seems like he's far from finishing yet.

"I heard you took business units in college?" Sehun asks him, more seriously this time. Baekhyun nods his head.

"Yes." he exhales to keep himself relaxed, "I also took my masteral but I didn't finish it."

Sehun watches him while nodding, "That's good. But don't you want to continue and finish it?"

_If only._

"Maybe one day." is the only thing he answered. 

Sehun stares at him like how he did a while ago. It's like Baekhyun transforms into a puzzle that's becoming harder for him to solve.

"You got me genuinely curious about you." he says that made Baekhyun gulp. He shrugs without noticing the sudden panicked reaction from the other, "But we'll have enough time for chats. Right now, I'll have to remind you things."

He looks at the Chairman who's still facing the window far from them before continuing.

"You have to be here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Those are the usual schedules for board meetings. If you can drop by every weekday then it'll be better." he rubs his chin as if remembering more, "Business attires are required but the Chairman strictly ordered to spare you from all the employee requirements. So basically, you can wear jogging pants if you like." he clicks his tongue while looking at the distance, "_Gosh, _what a dream you live."

Baekhyun smiles. Of course, he'll still abide by the rules even if he's not required to.

"You don't have a secretary yet." he adds, "the Chairman doesn't want to expose you to other people that much yet. He said it's a bit dangerous since you're new to this and someone might use you and conspire against the company. You know the shit of the business world." he nonchalantly says, unable to notice the gulp Baekhyun makes again.

"O-Okay."

"But! It means I'll have to be with you every step of the way. Basically, I'll be your secretary." he raises his brows, "Exciting, isn't it?"

He nods with a forced smile. Sehun seems to be a lot nicer now that he's talking to him. But it only means that more people are going to get involved. It'll be so much harder. It doesn't sound like a good idea.

"He's almost done." Sehun points out before sitting straight and looking at him, "That's all I need to say for now. And oh, one more thing..."

Baekhyun waits for it.

"I know you only met him, despite being his son. So if there's one advice I could give you that no one else can..." his voice becomes fainter yet firm, "It's to never _ever _betray the Chairman."

He keeps his eyes on him to conceal the sudden fidgeting of his fingers.

"That's what he hates the most. I'm telling you this because you might be shocked once you see the tragic fate of the people who'll try to stab his back. Expect it. Get used to it." he smiles, "He isn't the _Alpha _for nothing. When he gets even, he'll ask for the biggest payment."

Baekhyun doesn't say anything, but he can feel the goosebumps forming on his nape.

"You're lucky to be his son." Sehun taps him by the arm, "He'll spare you, because he trusts you and you obviously wouldn't try." he raises a brow, "Right?"

He flashes the most convincing smile he can.

"Of course."

Sehun looks at him, nodding slowly.

"Done, Mr Oh?" the intimidating voice comes closer to them and Baekhyun almost flinched on his seat, "We're going out for dinner, maybe you can join us."

The apprentice shakes his head, "No, Sir. I should get going too. Thanks by the way." he stands up and bows to him before glancing back at Baekhyun, "Take care, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun remains on his seat even after Sehun left the room, his words echo in his head.

_He trusts you._

"Baekhyun?" he flashes the same convincing smile as the Chairman nods at him, "let's go?"

He nods before following him to leave, preparing himself for the moment he was just told to avoid.

Baekhyun continues to tap on his phone while they make their way towards the restaurant. Four men surround them, looking around for any signs of danger. From every corner of the place, men stand by while watching over them, part of the same security team.

He looks so small compared to them, especially that he's walking in between. The Chairman walks ahead with the phone on his ear, laughing with the story he hears over the line. Baekhyun takes this chance to check his phone again.

_To: Minseok_

_Where are you? We're here._

Baekhyun subtly puts his phone back to his pocket when the guard beside him looks at him warily. He casually continues to walk, feeling the vibration in his pocket. He waits for them to find a table and settle down first before opening it.

_From: Minseok_

_So tensed, are we?_

He grits his teeth. Minseok really has a habit of fooling around in serious situations.

His father finishes the phone call so he wasn't able to send a reply. He asks for a wine before looking back at Baekhyun.

"Who are we meeting again?"

"M-My..." he clears his throat, "Uhm, my boyfriend..."

The Chairman slowly nods, lips parted in awe. Right then, he breaks into a smile.

"Good to hear." he says, "Don't worry. I'm not like the other parents who'll judge you for this." he sips on his glass of wine, "What does he do by the way?"

_Right. _Baekhyun wants to mumble. _Asks what he does right after. Neat._

"He's uh―" he wants to cuss when he stutters again, "He's a Chief Operating Officer...of an automotive manufacturer company."

Baekhyun was right. His father stops drinking as soon as he hears this. And the timer starts. It all begins here.

"Really?" he looks at Baekhyun with so much interest, unable to grasp the fact that his long lost son has a COO boyfriend, "Do I know the company?"

He swallows, "U-Uh..."

His phone vibrates on his lap. Minseok's message flashes on the screen.

_Behind._

He turns around and sees Minseok wearing his cocky smile, straightening his suit. He's followed by two more guards and in the middle of them is a tall, handsome man. His black hair is neatly pushed back, lips pursed in a thin line as his cold eyes bore to where he is.

Baekhyun's breath hitched. He suddenly feels drowsy.

He avoids the man's eyes, afraid his knees would start wobbling. He has a job to do. And as soon as he stands up, he proceeds to the plan, like how the man does when his lips curve into a smile, almost leaving him breathless.

He faces his father and sees him looking at him from his seat. He opens his mouth to speak but an arm wraps around his waist. He clears his throat and faces him, the scent of musk meets his nose and a kiss is placed on his temple.

"_Baby._"

He gulps and forces a smile. He looks at his smiling face, but his eyes are so cold. Baekhyun doesn't know how such fire ignites in them at the same time.

"Sir," he faces the man again, feeling the grasp on his waist tightened, "This is Park Chanyeol, COO of Flair Motor Corporation."

The Chairman wipes his lips with the table napkin. With a knowing smile on his face, he stands up and offers his hand.

"The head of Flair, huh?" he says, "Small world indeed."

Baekhyun can see how Chanyeol's eyes fall on the hand in front of him before eventually accepting it. He looks away, unable to endure the tension when they touched.

"It's an honor to finally meet the Alpha of the business world." his deep voice sends shiver down to Baekhyun's spine, "I grew up looking up to your work."

The Chairman lets out a humorous laugh.

"Pardon me. My son didn't mention that his beau is the COO of the leading automotive company in Asia. I could've chosen a better place."

The taller's laugh echoes right beside his ear.

"This could work just fine." he says before motioning Minseok to move farther. The smaller man nods at his order before ordering the two guards to watch them from a distance.

The three of them sat around the table, a candlelight in the middle of them. This has got to be the worst situation Baekhyun has ever been in. His face says it all. He just wants this to end.

"How long have you been the COO of Flair?" he asks Chanyeol without noticing his fidgeting son beside him.

"I've just been elected last year."

Mr Byun hums, his face screams impressiveness.

"Explains why Flair's sales are impressively high recently." he chuckles before looking at Baekhyun, "My son knows how to choose a man, doesn't he?"

Chanyeol laughs beside him, his hand starts caressing Baekhyun's thigh as if ordering him to react. Baekhyun forces another smile.

"I beg to disagree." he says that made Baekhyun's smile fade, "I think I was the one who found a gem."

Baekhyun can't bring himself to be happy. He knows what's going on. They're acting. _He's faking it and he's doing so well._

"Well that's my son you're talking about. I'm not really surprised." the old man grins at them.

Chanyeol graps his thigh a little tighter.

"Right he is." Baekhyun can feel his eyes getting warm, "The resemblance is uncanny."

He looks at Chanyeol this time, a lump forming in his throat. But the taller keeps his gaze forward.

_No._

But it's true, isn't it? He's the son of the man in front of him. The man Chanyeol despises with his whole heart. And he can't blame him if he sees it in him every time. It's not Chanyeol's fault.

"When did you start dating?"

Both of them fell silent this time. _This should be a safe one, _he said. He can tell the truth this time. He tries to answer for it but Chanyeol already does.

"Just five years ago."

Baekhyun only nods again, keeping the growing lump in his throat from ruining their plans.

_The man you began to love ten years ago is long gone. He isn't the one beside you._

The Chairman looks at Chanyeol as if he's a very interesting person. He fails to see the plans beneath his smile. The look on his face screams how much he approves Chanyeol to be his son's partner. To be a part of his conglomerate, even. In short, they succeed.

But it's only the beginning and Baekhyun feels like giving up already. If this is what he has to keep up and endure all the time, then he doesn't know how long he can take it. This isn't him. This isn't what he thought of doing in the years he once thought he'll finally be happy.

What has he been doing for the monster beside him? And maybe the one in front of him too?

"So did Baekhyun already tell you?" the Chairman smiles at him as if anticipating him to break the news. But Baekhyun is too preoccupied to figure what it's all about.

Chanyeol looks at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. When he finally remembers it, he felt like being thrown in a pool of ice. _No. _He shakes his head, _not yet. Not now._

But the Chairman takes this the wrong way. He takes this chance of breaking the news himself.

"He finally got my name the other day. It's all fixed." he smiles proudly, "He's all set to be an heir."

Baekhyun felt how Chanyeol's hand left his thigh. His jaw hardened when he gulped before facing Baekhyun. The fire in his eyes got even more ignited, as if the flame from the candle in front of him reflected right on them.

Right then, the rage in Chanyeol's heart becomes firmer along with his plans. Baekhyun can feel the hatred from his gaze as if burning him to ashes.

"Finally, huh?" he smiles and the name he despised for years finally escapes his lips, _"Byun Baekhyun."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I've posted the first chapter and since I'm really busy atm, I think I'll have to wait for it to reach at least 25 kudos before posting 5 more (continuously). ^^
> 
> This was written some time ago so sorry for the grammatical/typographical lapses because I have yet to check on them.


	3. 2-Owe You

Baekhyun watches the broad back getting more and more distant from where he stands.

Even from where he is, he can see the authority from the way Chanyeol walks. The people around him are obviously guards despite of being in suits because his aura screams superiority among them. Baekhyun only continues to follow when Minseok stopped and turned around, eyes roaming around before falling on him.

_"Let's go?" _the smaller man nodded his head at him, as if asking what's taking him so long. Baekhyun only flashed a timid smile as he walks towards the exit too.

The underground parking of the luxurious hotel seemed so far because of the eerie atmosphere around them in the elevator. He's fidgeting in the back corner, unable to endure being so close to the man in front of him. Minseok looks behind to check on him every now and then, raising his brows as if asking if he's fine. Yet again, Baekhyun only keeps it casual by smiling back.

"Minseok," Baekhyun flinched when the deep voice suddenly speaks out of the blue, "what's the progress?"

"Hmm?" Minseok's eyes slightly widened when he couldn't figure out what he's being asked. When Chanyeol tilted his head to his side, he smiles sheepishly. "Ah! Yes, I already convinced Mr. Lee to sell his stocks. Though two of the other stockholders are still hard to convince. I don't get why they're being such a pain in the ass when our offer is good."

Baekhyun looks at his shoes, though every word they say enter his ears and without being told what exactly it was about, he had an idea. He's not stupid. _Well...maybe he is. _But not in this aspect.

"We're not wasting any second here, are we?" Minseok taunts at the man beside him, "Can I get a little break? Like a day or two in Jeju?"

Baekhyun watches the way Minseok casually grins at Chanyeol beside him as if he's not scared to get snapped at. Just being around Chanyeol makes him so anxious. He can't imagine how Minseok manages to joke around his boss like this. But maybe it's really his talent. Something Baekhyun wishes to have.

But maybe he had it before.

"Not a chance." Chanyeol responds with the same tone, "Continue bribing them. If they won't agree, you know what to do."

_You know what to do. _Baekhyun knows very well what this phrase means. It's never good.

"Very well, boss." Minseok says, still cheerful like he is. Chanyeol didn't speak another word until the elevator opens. The men step ahead outside before he could, checking if there's anything suspicious around. When everyone got out, Baekhyun is once again the last one to follow.

He walks a meter away from them, and Minseok is the only one who cares about his existence by looking at him every now and then. He gestures Baekhyun to walk a little faster, so he does.

When they reached the black Maserati on the left corner, the stoic businessman did not spare him a glance. He hops inside the backseat of the car, the other men get inside the two other cars beside it. Baekhyun keeps his lips pursed as he stops, he can barely see the inside of the car because of the tinted window, but he can still get a glimpse of Chanyeol's shadow inside, especially the side profile of his face. He swallows the bitterness that stayed in his throat all throughout the evening. With the same smile, he turns to Minseok.

"You can go ahead."

Minseok stares at him, brows furrowed.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

Baekhyun blinks rapidly, trying to use the last ideas in his mind to come up with a decent reason. "Well...I still need to go and buy something at the mall."

"Baekhyun, you do know that you can tell the maids to buy it for you, right?" he raises a brow, "Or we can drop you off to the mall and wait for you."

He immediately shakes his head, earning his courage to be more convincing since the man in the car might get impatient. He takes a quick glance through the window again but Chanyeol's figure remains the same as it was.

"It's fine...Minseok, I brought the car with me anyway. I want to get used to driving too." he continues to assure him, "I'll be fine. Go ahead."

Minseok's eyes lingered on him for a few seconds, still not convinced to leave him alone. But Baekhyun flashes him a smile he surely can't refuse. When he lets out a heavy sigh, Baekhyun is relieved.

"Okay. Call me if you need anything." he walks around to the other side of the car, "Don't drive too fast."

Baekhyun only nods. Hands in his pockets, he turns around to walk away, slightly anticipating the cars to drive past him already. He was slightly perplexed when the cars haven't left yet when the engines have been powered for a while now. He's quite far from them when he hears a car door opening, he almost ignored it but the same person calls for his name.

"Baek!"

He turns around, face still has a ghost of forced smile on it. He raises both his brows when he sees Minseok holding onto the car door, looking at him.

"Go home straight after." he says gently, muttering it as if the words didn't come from him, "Don't stay out for too long!"

Baekhyun nods again and watches how Minseok takes a quick glance inside the car before completely hopping back inside. Right then, the Maserati drove after the first black Chevy Tahoe, followed by another behind. He stares at them until they're completely out of his sight.

When the deafening silence takes over his surroundings, he looks at the small white car beside him, then to the keys on his hand. His gaze travels to both of them for a while before eventually putting the keys back to his pocket. He proceeds to walking back inside the elevator. When he got inside the hotel again, he took the main exit towards the main road.

Screw that fancy car. He'll take the bus.

He managed to get a seat beside the window in the bus, a mother and small little girl were beside him. All throughout the short ride, Chanyeol's face flashes in his mind. It was indeed a short meeting between him and the Alpha despite getting the latter's interest on their relationship. The old man has somewhere else to go after so he couldn't stay longer, not that Baekhyun wanted it of course. It was barely an hour but he felt like combusting anytime soon. He can't imagine having to do it again from now on.

Chanyeol wasn't in the country for almost two weeks because of overseas agendas, and tonight was the first time he saw him again. Baekhyun wants to laugh at himself. It's funny how much he had to control his urge to jump on him with the biggest hug. His own voice echoes in his head within the whole span of sitting beside Chanyeol, stealing glances. _Y__ou know you can't, idiot._

Baekhyun has been learning to treat him like how he should. A stranger. A boss. And it was very hard, to be honest. But eventually he's learning to cope with it. He has no choice, after all.

The bus dropped him off a block away from the town center. A few people are wandering outside the local mall since it's almost closing time. He got inside and went to the department store, same thoughts running in his mind.

He has to pretend in front of the man he calls his father. And by the reaction they got a while ago, he knows they succeeded on their plans. He's interested in Chanyeol's assets, like how Chanyeol wants him to be. And the meeting tonight will not be the last, he's sure of that. And so he has to control his emotions and go with the flow like how he rehearsed. He shouldn't be distracted.

Their past was buried long ago, together with the place buried by his father six feet under.

Baekhyun bought what he needed to buy and went straight to the food court. He also got himself a bowl of _tteokgalbi _and a can of coke. Ever since he moved to Seoul, he's been sneaking out once in a while to grab _tteokgalbi _and other food he used to eat when he was in South Jeolla. He will never get used to eating fancy restaurant and hotel food. Needless to say, he doesn't like them.

When Baekhyun got himself a comfortable place beside Han River to eat his food and contemplate about his life, he sat on the grass.

He was given a car, expensive gadgets, a huge yet cold mansion to live in. Today, he's even given a whole empire to run. And he doesn't want any of it. Whenever he gets a time for himself and watches the river like this, realization constantly hits him hard. When he first arrived here almost two years ago, he can vividly remember how much he cried beside the riverbanks, homesickness and loneliness filled him up. He will never get used to everything.

This was never a part of his dreams, nor his plans. All he wanted was a simple life. A happy family, a life with the man he loves, a simple yet stable job. He never wished for any of what he has right now.

It's cold and empty. Being here makes him feel so empty. But at the same time, he knows he wouldn't be anywhere else. Because this is what he's meant to do.

Before midnight, and after sitting in silence for more than an hour beside the river, he decided to stand up and leave. He calls the only valet he trusts in the mansion to drive the car home instead. Right then, he took the bus filled with fewer passengers this time. His eyelids felt heavy, and for a long time, he finally had a brief moment of peace within the short ride home.

**x**

"Baekhyun-ah." one of the new maids greeted him in front of the big door, "You've been gone for quite a while. Have you eaten?"

Baekhyun motions his palm when she tries to take his coat off for him. He smiles and does it himself, "I already ate, thank you." His eyes caught the light from one of the windows above. Curtains are drawn to the sides, allowing him to see it clearly, "Chanyeol...is still awake? Has he eaten already?"

She nods in response, walking behind the petite male towards the big hall of the house. "He's been working there all night. But he went down to eat dinner. He stayed for a while to answer some calls. He looked furious most of the time." Baekhyun smiles when she went on until the tiniest detail as if reciting. He taps her arm to say good night.

"Isn't he always?" he forces a chuckle before walking to the stairs, "Go rest, Jung-ah. I'll head to bed too."

"He..." she adds with a lower voice that made Baekhyun stop, "I think...he was waiting for you too. I saw him asking something to the head maid. After that, he went back to his office upstairs, looking even more vexed..." she mumbles before looking around to see if someone heard, "Please don―"

"I won't tell." Baekhyun flashes an exhausted smile, "Good night, Jung-ah."

He went straight to his room, lips still curved with a painfully forced smile he had to master for the whole day. When his body falls on the bed, he thought he'll immediately fall asleep but his eyes are fixed on the ceiling.

He isn't dumb to notice how the people in this house shared the same sympathy for him. He can't blame them anyway. He can also see how they try to make him feel better by telling him things that can make him realize _he _actually cares for him. But Baekhyun just knows better. After training himself for all of these, he also molded himself to keep his expectations low. They should not expect him to feel giddy with all these details that may even mean nothing.

Of course, Chanyeol cares. But that's because they have things to do. They have plans lined up and Baekhyun is the person he needs the most to execute them well. He will care, of course.

But maybe. Maybe. There's a tiny bit of hope left somewhere deep inside Baekhyun. A tiny bit of hope he should not hold on to, but he does, anyway. Because he's stupid.

_I miss you._

He bites his lip before sending it. Only a minute has passed when his phone vibrates beside him. He sniffs before lying down on his stomach and smiling big as he answers.

_"Hyung!"_

He jokingly snorts as he glares at the person on his screen, "How many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't call me _hyung_, Yeri?"

_"Eh." _she only grunts before waving again, _"I'm about to sleep but I received your dramatic text! I knew you couldn't resist me." _

"You're just too confident that I'll be the first one to greet you." he says, "Happy birthday, brat. You're seventeen now, stop peeing on the sheets, will you?"

_"I don't!" _she rolls her eyes and Baekhyun smiles even wider. His heart feels light, _"And you aren't the first one this time! Hah. Eomma greeted me first."_

"She's getting more and more competitive, isn't she?" he narrows his eyes, "Next year, I'll greet you three days earlier."

_"Dumbass." _she scoffs, _"Ugh I know! I was about to sleep! Baekhyun-hyung just demanded a late night talk!"_

"Is that Eomma?" his eyes lighted up, unable to notice the sudden hesitation from the girl on the screen, "Can you hand her the phone?"

_"Uh, yeah―well, wait." _for a moment, he sees the old flooring of their house as Yeri walks out of her room with the phone on her hand. He hears a low rumbling with slightly audible words, _"Just talk to him!"_

Baekhyun gulps. The screen flashes the dimmed light from their ceiling before he's completely face to face with his mother.

"Eomma..."

She forces a smile from where she sits. Her eyes are not directed to the camera but on the screen so he couldn't look at her properly.

_"Baekhyunnie, how are you?" _his heart clenches just by the gentle sound of her voice. From where he is, he can clearly see the lines on her face, the grey strands of hair slowly covering the black ones, and the worn out smile on her face.

"F-Fine..." he swallows when his voice slightly breaks, "I'm doing fine. I miss you Mama..."

She doesn't respond. She only smiles. But her eyes scream pain, just by looking at his lying son in front of her, trying to pretend when she knows it too well.

"How have you been? Sorry I only called tonight...I was very busy with work." he lies again, trying to keep his voice as cheerful as he can.

_"Fine too...we visited your father two days ago. We brought white and pink tulips."_

"Hmm, he loved it for sure." he coos, "I went to the chapel that day too. I told him I miss him but he still wouldn't visit me in my dream."

_"This child..." _she smiles when Baekhyun laughs, _"Have you been eating well? You look restless. You lost weight too. What have you been doing?"_

Baekhyun smiles. She always tells him the same thing when she looks as tired as he is. And when Baekhyun tells her so, she'll only deny it.

_"I do not!" _she exclaims when Baekhyun tells her the same, _"I still look as good as I did before you left."_

He nods, "Of course you do..." he saw how her face softens. He blinks rapidly when his eyes started getting warm, "I really really miss you...and Yeri...and Appa." he's still smiling but wasn't able to stop the tear that fell on his cheek. He immediately wipes it off with the back of his hand when his mother sighed.

"What do you plan for Yeri's birthday today?" he clears his throat and smiles again as if nothing happened, "I'll send the gift I bought and money to―"

_"Baekhyun-ah...you don't need to."_

He bites his lip as he feels the thing in his chest twisting. But he choose to be stubborn.

"What are you talking about? I'm your son. And Yeri deserves the best birthday." he says with finality that made her silent, "I'll send it today...Cook the best dishes you want. Or you can eat outside..."

She doesn't answer. Baekhyun gulps the lump in his throat before exhaling a deep breath.

"Promise, Eomma...I'll go home soon. I'll visit you and Yeri. Okay?"

She only nods. He chose to ignore the pain in his heart. He knows what she's thinking. He knows where the money he sends them goes. He's not the same person who was their son. Or maybe he never was.

"Go to sleep now. It's late. I'll call when I have the chance again...I love you, Mama. It's been a long day for sure, take a rest."

She nods again. Baekhyun immediately knew what it meant, and it made him feel better. Her eyes found the camera, making her look straight right to his eyes.

_"You too." _she says gently, _"Take a rest when you're tired...okay?"_

The line went off and Baekhyun remained staring at the screen in front of him. And like any other nights, he goes down to the floor beside his bed where he can sit with his legs folded towards his chest. Where he can bury his face on his knees and cry silently as his trembling hands hold each other. No one needs to know.

He lets out another sob before looking up to the door. He blinks a few times, realizing that no one's there. Right then, his face contorted as he breaks down again. His forehead rests on his knees as tears continue to drop on his pants. He wondered how long should he torture himself like this. And when he got no answer, he just waited until his eyes get tired.

He sniffs and wipes his face dry with his shirt. He looks at the door at the far corner again. This time, he decided to stand up and walk towards it. It wasn't locked. And just as he was about to lock the knob, he changed his mind and opened it instead. The hallway lights are now dimmed. The light in front of his room is off, probably because they thought he's now sleeping.

Baekhyun walks towards the veranda at the end of the hall, just beside his room. He wasn't wrong when he sees Chanyeol standing there, his back facing him. He has nothing but pants on, even loosely hanging around his waist. His hair is messily combed to the back. Both his hands are resting on the stone railing, but only a single hand is holding both the cigarette and glass of whiskey on it while his eyes are fixed on the far distance.

The muscle on his back flexes everytime he takes another puff of cigarette and leans closer to the railing. And as much as Baekhyun wants to step silently and walk back to his room, he knows the taller is aware of his presence.

"You're still up..."

His mumbled words made no effect to the other man. Baekhyun silently clears his throat as he starts to step back and not bother him anymore.

"It's late...Yeol." he says gently without taking his gaze off of him, "You should rest."

Chanyeol's head tilts to the side where he stands. It's very dark, and Baekhyun can't see where his eyes are directed or even the look on his face. He remains this way before facing back in front and gulping the whiskey until the last drop. The short stick of cigarette was thrown out, he puts down the empty glass on the small terrace table before walking towards Baekhyun.

Baekhyun's lips are pursed in a thin line. Chanyeol's tall figure completely covered the small light coming from the outside, and as he was barely a meter away from him, Baekhyun can finally see his dark eyes directed at him.

"Chanyeol..." his breath hitched when his large hands covered both his cheek and nape, he can't bear staring back at Chanyeol's eyes on him, so he looks down to his neck as his hands tremble.

A mix smell of musk, cigarette and alcohol invaded his senses. He almost felt drowsy, but the hot breath on his neck keeps the fear in him alive. When Chanyeol starts sucking the skin on his neck, biting on it in the process, his breathing went ragged.

"C-Chanyeol...I'm a bit..." he says, almost a whisper. Chanyeol slightly pulls away to look at him, his eyes testing for his next words.

"I'm a b-bit tired and..." he breathes. Chanyeol's lips curved into a sarcastic smile.

"But I'm not."

He gulps when the deep voice resonated on his ear. His chest heaves as he finally surrenders, eyes blinking rapidly as he looks away. Chanyeol holds his face to make him face in front before clashing their lips together. There was no shifting in his pace when he started it rough and hungry.

Baekhyun did not complain when his back harshly hits the wall. He stayed silent when his lips felt numb, or when his clothes were thrown to the floor leaving him bare and cold. He didn't mind the marks left on him.

The sound of his whimpers and Chanyeol's rough grunts are the only noise that broke the silence of the night. 

He remained how he chose himself to be. Powerless.

When his limping body hits the sheet of his bed, he isn't anywhere near relieved. Chanyeol's not done. The marks left on his skin from two weeks ago aren't even gone yet, but here he is, covering them with new ones.

He just fucked him against the wall outside his room, not caring if they wake the maids up with the continuous thumping sound. 

And now the taller is standing beside his bed, waiting for him to do what he wants. But Baekhyun is too tired to even move a limb. The side of his eyes are slightly wet.

"Don't test my patience, Baekhyun."

He shut his eyes tight. He tries to gain the last bit of strength in him to sit up and open his eyes. When he does, he sees Chanyeol standing bare in front of him, his jaw slightly clenched.

The space beside him shrinks with the weight of his body. He takes a deep breath and faces to his side, seeing Chanyeol sitting on his bed, his back leaning on the headboard as he waits for Baekhyun to move. His shaft remains hard and leaking, as if waiting to fill him fully again.

Baekhyun weakly straddles in front of him, holding onto the headboard beside Chanyeol to position himself. He can feel the taller's intense gaze on him as he does so, eyes filled with impatience. When Baekhyun got a hold of his cock under him, he lets it fill his emptiness once more, pushing it up until the brim.

Chanyeol lets out a raspy breath when Baekhyun's warmth completely covers him. His other arm snakes around Baekhyun's waist to move him up and down, while the other grabs his hair to droop his head down for a hot kiss. 

Baekhyun pulls away every now and then to catch some air, his hands are now slipping from the headboard because of sweat. He continues bouncing his hips up and down, pace quickening and vigorous. His screams from the pain and pleasure are suppressed.

Chanyeol's eyes darkened when he's about to scream as he repeatedly hits his spot, but was able to keep his mouth shut. He doesn't like it when Baekhyun does this.

"Look at you," Chanyeol grunts with a grin as he thrusts more, "Imagine how that bastard will be so convinced once he sees those marks on you."

Baekhyun can't help letting out a chuckle of bitterness, and Chanyeol looks at him warily because of this, waiting for him to say something but he remained breathing heavily. The sarcastic smile is still etched on his face as he tries to move faster, but his legs can't hold it any longer. He bites his lip to suppress his tears, and was relieved when Chanyeol held him still to thrust himself under him.

"Oh...fuck!"

Chanyeol kisses him on his throat, screaming a bunch of profanities as he felt himself nearing. When Baekhyun bounced deeper on his cock, he splats his cum inside the male on top of him, his thrusts became slower.

Baekhyun lets himself roll undone to the side before pumping his cock on his own. His juice splattered all over his torso and hand, covering him with sticky cum all over his body.

This time, he couldn't move anymore. He badly wants to close his eyes and fall asleep. But like the idiot he is, he remains staring straight at the ceiling, watching Chanyeol put his clothes back from the corner of his eyes. He realized he has to get up to get his clothes outside his room so no one could see it, but right now, it is the least of his concern. He seizes this moment like any other nights, as if he wasn't used like a worthless toy.

"Is it done?" Baekhyun mumbles under his breath, uncertain if Chanyeol heard it, "Is everything enough for you now?"

Baekhyun swallows the lump in his throat as warmth pools the corner of his eyes. Chanyeol zips his pants beside him without even glancing at his direction.

"How much do I still owe you, Chanyeol?"

He hears a contemptuous laugh at the end of his words.

"Don't play dumb, Baekhyun." even the way his name escapes his lips sounds harsh, "I'll give him his _fucking_ end. You know it will never be enough for me until everything he has is destroyed."

The next sound he heard was the loud slamming of the door, leaving him in complete and agonizing silence.

_So that's why you're starting with me._

Baekhyun closes his eyes, gaining every courage he made for himself.

If he isn't destroyed enough yet, then why should he leave?

Stay where you are. _Finish what you started._ He said, repeating it to himself.


	4. 3-Take My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> past.

Just by the way the rays of the sun hit his face, it was probably a later hour in the morning.

Instead of completely opening his eyes to start the day, Baekhyun only scrunched his face before shifting to the other side to avoid the sunlight and continue his precious slumber.

_"Baekhyungie! Baekhyungie!"_

The short brunette scratched his neck while clicking his tongue.

"Oh Baekhyungie you're so doomed!"

He gulped when he suddenly felt aware of the dryness of his throat from that long hours of sleep. Nonetheless, he tried to shoo the person standing beside his bed away.

"Yeri, let me sleep first and I'll play with you later..."

"Sleep? No, no, no sleep!"

"God, Yeri do you know what time is it?"

"Yes it's almost near ten! The short hand is almost...to ten! The long hand is...in the middle of ten and eleven..." she slowly mumbled while looking at the clock above her brother's bed. But her cute way of talking probably wasn't effective to keep her brother calm when he sat right up from his bed, eyes widening as it immediately fell on the smiling kid in front of him, "You are so late, Baekhyungie!"

He wasn't able to count how many times he stumbled and hit his feet from the things inside their small house. His hair was dripping wet, staining the back and shoulder parts of his cream colored uniform. His eyes were still puffy from the interrupted sleep he had.

He glanced at his seven-year-old sister sitting on the rocking chair with a taunting smile on her face. It was as if she's oddly satisfied of seeing her brother rushing to his death.

Baekhyun sighed and stopped paying her attention anymore. He began throwing things away when he couldn't find the last thing he needed.

"Where is the goddamn towel?!"

"_Goddamn_, right beside you!" Yeri cooed, imitating his cursing. Baekhyun almost slapped himself but was too shaken by her next words, "Move quickly cause your _goddamn _boyfriend is waiting for you outside!"

The towel was long forgotten.

"What?!" he grabbed his bag on the table and sent a glare to his sister, "Why didn't you tell me?! Yeri!"

He didn't know he's going to be waiting for him today and he got the nerve to wake up late! What an awful way to start the day.

"You're barely even listening to me!" Yeri shouted back.

Baekhyun yelped when his knee hit another wooden chair. He bit his lip and tried to endure the pain to continue running out of his room where he came face to face with his mother.

"Why are you leaving just now?" she asked when Baekhyun quickly kissed her cheek goodbye after she put down the bags of vegetables from her hand, "Chanyeol is waiting outside. Baekhyun, have you been keeping him waiting?" she clicked her tongue when she figured out he woke up later than usual by the way he's moving too fast.

"Ma, I need to go!" he cut her off when she continued her litany, "Scold me later!"

He was panting as he ran out of the house, water from his hair still dripping on his clothes. The neighborhood was already on a buzz since it was almost lunch. Small houses surrounded their even smaller abode. Outside was a very narrow street with a path of uncemented road. Baekhyun's face was flushing just by the thought in his mind. Despite running fast, he tried to comb his wet hair with his fingers and wiped his face clean as if it wasn't.

As he almost reached the end of the street of the small village, his steps became slower. A smile slowly formed on his face. A pair of eyes observed him as he walked closer, looking at him intently from his wet and unkempt hair to his disheveled uniform.

"I was quite expecting a lot, given that you made me wait that long."

Baekhyun sheepishly smiled as he walked towards the man leaning on his scooter. Unlike him, this one wore a cleaner and even neatly ironed uniform, hugging his tall and lean body so well. But like Baekhyun, a trace of grin was also etched on his face.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Baekhyun faked a frowning face, "You didn't even tell me that your scooter's already fixed! Eomma went to the market so Yeri was told to wake me up. You know that brat!" he said before straightening his polo.

He looked at Chanyeol's face, trying to suppress a bigger smile when he saw him staring as well.

"We're so late." Chanyeol said as if it is wasn't obvious, "But you had a good sleep so it doesn't really matter, does it?"

Baekhyun strived to ignore his rummaging heart against his chest as he focused back to the problem.

"We should go now." he said and Chanyeol nodded before reaching for the two blue helmets, "But Yeol..."

Chanyeol turned to Baekhyun, who's pursing his lips and still not moving from where he is.

"My hair is...soaking wet." he tilted his head to emphasize the dripping water from his head, "I might damp your helmet."

The taller walked towards him, eyes directed on him. He placed the helmets down first before touching Baekhyun's hair with both his hands. He combed and parted it with his fingers, not minding his hands getting wet as he fixed it.

Baekhyun’s chest was heaving, given that there was a tiny space between them. He could feel Chanyeol’s breath on his forehead. Despite being embarrassed, he couldn’t help looking at the taller’s face right in front of him, from his eyes, to his nose, then to his lips.

And when Chanyeol’s gaze fell right on his eyes, something in him was about to jump out of his body.

“Cute.” Chanyeol whispered while staring at him before pushing his hair back with his large hands. He grinned when Baekhyun whined, “You’re a lot cuter when your forehead’s sticking out like that.”

“Dumbass!” Baekhyun frowned when his hair only got messier, “Chanyeol, I’m serious!”

“Don’t wear the helmet then.” Chanyeol brought the helmet back to the scooter. Baekhyun was a bit disappointed, thinking that Chanyeol actually agreed. There was a small pout on his face when he stepped towards the scooter where Chanyeol was already starting the engine. He stood there waiting for Chanyeol to put his own helmet but the taller didn’t bother.

“Why don’t you use yours?”

Chanyeol turned to him with a smile, “You’ll hit your head once I do.”

The petite boy narrowed his eyes even when he was trying to suppress a smile. He hopped behind Chanyeol to settle himself on the scooter. Before starting to drive, Chanyeol grabbed the both of his hands to wrap them around his waist, earning him a bewildered look from the boy behind him.

“The wind will dry your hair.”

Baekhyun furrowed his brows, “And hugging you should be involved?”

Chanyeol only clicked his tongue, and Baekhyun wasn’t able to see his face anymore from where he was.

“Safety first. We got no helmet.” the man in front of him spoke, “If you fall and hit your head badly, it would be a shame if you won’t be able to remember the handsome man who always drives you to school.”

“_Fine._” Baekhyun scoffed. Nonetheless, he tightened his grasp around Chanyeol’s waist. “But my hair is dripping on your clothes…”

“Tch.” Chanyeol only pulled him closer and drove the scooter away.

Baekhyun felt the cold breeze of morning air against his face as they drove faster. The wind was blowing his hair dry, but a part of Chanyeol’s uniform was already damped because of him. Nevertheless, he smiled as he placed his chin on his shoulder. The missed classes and soaking wet hair were no longer his concern.

Oh how Baekhyun wished he was living Yeri’s morning jokes. God knows how he’s so in love with his best friend.

Baekhyun took another bite of his sandwich as soon as Jongdae removed the last bit of cucumber from his food. His friend was judging him so hard beside him while his eyes continued to watch the man meters away from where he sat.

“Stop disrespecting the fucking food.”

He continued gushing over the same person with an unbothered face, ignoring the remarks from his friend.

“Says someone who cursed the innocent sandwich.”

“For Pete’s sake, your boy isn’t going anywhere.”

“He’s not my boy.”

The other intensely rolled his eyes, “Well you don’t act that way!” he hissed. “You watch him all the time with all those disgusting hearts flying out of your eyes, don’t even ask me how shitty your alibis are whenever you bawl your eyes out when he’s getting flirty with other girls!”

“I…don’t.” Baekhyun looked at his plate this time.

“Why don’t you just tell him what you feel!” he exclaimed, not to loud for everyone to hear, just enough for his idiot of a friend to be enlightened. “You’ve been friends for God knows how long, do you really think he’ll hurt your feelings?”

“I can’t…” Baekhyun smiled after gulping, “He’s my best friend, Dae. You know I can’t just run to him and suddenly confess.”

“No, _I _am your best friend. Get it?” he sighed and tried to explain it better, “You should move your ass to bring him up to another level in your life, we’re graduating soon, Baek!” he slapped the table to prove a point, “It’s now or never!”

Baekhyun opened his mouth to speak but Chanyeol looked towards his way, flashing him the usual big smile. The one exclusively for Baekhyun. So Baekhyun closed his mouth to smile back, waving his hand as if he can’t hear the snorting sound he’s friend was making beside him.

He asked himself, can he really endure losing the bond and relationship he built with Chanyeol over the past eleven years? The smiles, laughter, and tears especially just for him? Can he ruin them all just because of this stupid feelings?

When Chanyeol went back to talking to his teammates, the smile on Baekhyun’s face became so forced that it hurt.

No. He’ll get over this and move on because their friendship will be the last thing he’ll risk. He’ll get over it.

“I don’t want to lose what we have, Dae. It’s fine this way.”

**x**

He made sure his hair was dry the next time. Styled, even. It was his first time trying out a different hairstyle, and we don’t really need to ask why. Unlike the previous days, he woke up earlier and got himself a more decent uniform. So when he reached the end of the street, there was a small satisfied smile on his face.

Chanyeol’s back was facing him. His small phone was on his ear, and from where Baekhyun stood, he could see the tension on his posture.

“I won’t.” he heard him said when he got closer. It was calm yet the words were emphasized by his tone of finality, “They’re obviously playing dirty on us! Do you really think they’re up for a fair and square deal? If they managed to fool others with their lies, then we’re not one of them. I know better, Dad, will you just listen to me?”

His deep voice resonated and his tone became even more tensed. Baekhyun didn’t know if he should stay where he was or let him know about his presence. In the end, he chose to wait for their conversation to finish. It seemed _really _important.

“I know that!” Chanyeol exclaimed and his shoulders were already heaving, “I won’t. I will never do that and that’s final! I’ll stay here. You can’t make me go.” the taller was even shaking his head as if proving the person on the other line about his point, “I’m not having this conversation anymore. I need to drive Baek to school.” he said, not waiting for the response as he flipped his phone close.

Chanyeol remained on the same spot for a couple of seconds. His breathing was still slightly ragged, so he took and exhaled a huge deep breath as he tried to loosen up. Right then, Baekhyun made his presence known by clearing his throat.

Chanyeol turned to where he was, his face unreadable. Baekhyun only stared at him, trying to weigh his mood but the taller said nothing and only looked away. He held his scooter straight and hopped on it, still silent.

“Is everything okay?”

Baekhyun kept his eyes on his face, watching every expression flashing on Chanyeol’s face like some kind of puzzle pieces he needed to solve.

“Yeah…yeah.” Chanyeol nodded unconvincingly, “Just some…business thing.”

Baekhyun slowly nodded.

“Wanna talk about it?”

Chanyeol looked at him, his gaze softening, or at least that’s what Baekhyun didn’t notice. He forced a chuckle before shaking his head.

“No…no, it’s nothing big.”

Baekhyun didn’t argue despite the curiosity forming in him. Chanyeol had always been opening up to him about things, even the littlest ones. He had always been comfortable around Baekhyun, as if the latter owned a part of his soul.

And now that Chanyeol’s being a little secretive, he couldn’t help thinking how serious it must be for him to think he had to keep it to himself.

But Baekhyun being Baekhyun, he wouldn’t try forcing Chanyeol to spill. He’ll let Chanyeol decide, whether he’s comfortable or not. And that’s what Chanyeol had always loved about him.

“Okay.” Baekhyun nodded and flashed his most comforting smile.

Aside from everything else.

Chanyeol stared at him for a while, his eyes implying a lot of things that Baekhyun cannot understand. When he looked back at him with a confused expression to why the taller was suddenly unresponsive, Chanyeol broke the eye contact and looked away to the floor while his lips are pursed. He slapped his head while laughing softly.

“What?” Baekhyun asked dumbly.

“Nothing.” Chanyeol said, his wide boyish grin was back to his face as if nothing happened, “Here.”

He threw the helmet on Baekhyun, which the latter almost didn’t catch.

“Oh…we’ll wear them?” Baekhyun asked and he almost slapped his head right after when he realized what he said.

Chanyeol grinned, “Yes, disappointed?”

“No.” Baekhyun snorted before hopping behind him again.

“You can still hug me though, if you like.”

“Yuck, you like yourself so much.”

“And you don’t?” Chanyeol joked and Baekhyun almost screamed _dumbass _right on his ear. But when Chanyeol grabbed his hands again from behind, he lost all the courage for words nor jokes, “C’mon, hug me.”

“I-It’s not necessary!”

“Doesn’t matter.” Chanyeol cooed, settling his arms around him. Baekhyun was almost certain that Chanyeol could feel his heartbeat on his back if he took notice. He sure hoped he wouldn’t, because he wouldn’t be able to explain why it was thumping this hard.

“Baek?” Chanyeol tilted his head to his side and Baekhyun hummed as a response, “Come to the recital tomorrow, okay?”

“You’ve told me that for the ninetieth time now.”

“I know.” Chanyeol answered, “But it’s important that you’re there. You should be there, okay?”

Baekhyun only nodded. Because truth be told, when did he ever missed something related to Chanyeol? He can almost hear Jongdae snorting from where he must be. _Never._

**x**

Chanyeol was everybody’s perfect man. He got the looks, the talent, the money, and_ the smiles _that got anyone swooning over him, both girls and boys, strangers and the best friend himself.

From a family that owned hectares of land and served as one of the major source of wheat and cotton within the whole province, Chanyeol knew what he was expected of by so many people. He grew up set to be an heir. And having that said, he had so many people around him, wanting to be his friend, _ally. _But none of them was real or sincere. So when he found Baekhyun being pestered by ants at the age of seven, he didn’t think twice when he saved the little boy who was bawling his eyes out while rashes covered his skin. He didn’t regret when he helped him remove every ant on his clothes, despite getting them on his skin too. Because when the same boy thanked him right after with the biggest smile and eyes turning into crescents, for the first time, he felt accepted for who he really was.

And so he decided to keep him.

The years of friendship flashed before his eyes like a film. When the echoing voices from his memories stopped, he looked straight to the boy sitting beside his friend on the far corner of the auditorium, his gaze roaming around as if finding a certain person. Chanyeol took a deep breath.

Unlike Baekhyun, he was there that very night to set his fears aside. He had been thinking about this for so long. He had been afraid of losing the smaller boy who he knew as a best friend. But realization hit him harder. He’s more afraid of not taking a risk.

He was in love with Baekhyun for so long, and he didn’t think he can hide it any longer.

“Hey, uhm…Chanyeol?” the girl from one of his classes peak through the backstage curtain. He smiled back, not noticing how she blushed in return, “Good luck!”

He blinked a few times, quite confused to why she went all the way here to tell him that. “Thanks Joy.” he said still. She smiled again before running back outside while giggling. They’ve been getting close for the past few weeks because of a project they’ve been working on so she probably meant good.

Chanyeol didn’t pay attention to it. He went back to his main concern, and that was to keep himself composed until he finish everything he needed to do.

“Chanyeol, after five.” someone told him from the side of the stage, “You ready?”

He took one quick glance to the person laughing at the far distance because of something his friend had whispered to him. His heart was running wild yet it felt so full.

“Ready.”

_“Ooh, looks like our next performance is a big confession!” _the smile on Baekhyun’s face slightly faded, _“Quite intriguing, is it? What more if I tell you all who’s it going to be?”_

A giggling and squealing sound from different groups of girls collectively resonated in the auditorium. The wildest ones came from the group of girls right in front who seemed to be pushing one of their friends as a tease.

“I thought you said Chanyeol is next?” Jongdae asked beside him, equally confused, “What’s with the confession? For who?”

Baekhyun gulped before shaking his head, “Maybe he isn’t next yet…”

_“This student wants a particular person to know that he had been, he is and he’ll always be waiting for you.” _the emcee sighed heavily, _“Whoever you are, you’re one lucky person. And with that, I won’t make you wait longer because he’s now here!” _she squealed and presented a guy going up the stage, _“Mr. Park has something to tell you with his song, ‘Shiver’!”_

The people were already shouting his name and the cheers reverberated within the thick walls of the auditorium. And Baekhyun felt like something’s piercing in him. Jongdae beside him fell silent too, subtly looking at Baekhyun who’s blinking rapidly and obviously trying to keep himself composed.

So Chanyeol finally decided to love someone completely, and he wanted Baekhyun to witness it?

He waited for him to say something on the mic once he settled himself in front of it with the band behind him. Baekhyun wanted clarifications, signs that he should leave this place for a while and come back when it’s finished and when he’s ready to fake happiness in front of him again.

But Chanyeol didn’t. He only roamed his eyes around the crowd, smiling timidly to the people cheering for him. For a moment, Baekhyun thought he saw his eyes lingering on where he was but he wasn’t sure since Chanyeol’s already looking down on his guitar after he blinked.

He still looked confident as ever, like how he always did. But for some reason, Baekhyun noticed the uneasiness in him too. As if he’s equally nervous as he was. And he couldn’t help hating this. _How much does he like her to the point that he’s slightly fidgeting? _That person can make the overconfident Chanyeol he knew this nervous and it didn’t make him feel any better.

** _“So I look in your direction, but you pay me no attention, do you?”_ **

His eyes were shut, preventing himself from giving the truth away just by his eyes so he closed them right from the start. Because he might just stare at Baekhyun for the whole song and it wouldn’t help him at all.

** _“I know you don't listen to me, ‘cause you say you see straight through me, don't you?”_ **

The crowd cheered even louder but a certain someone couldn’t even bring himself to smile.

** _“And on and on from the moment I wake, to the moment I sleep._ **

** _I'll be there by your side, just you try and stop me.”_ **

Baekhyun looked at Jongdae’s hand tapping his own. He smiled reassuringly to him before clapping his hand and cheering for his best friend despite his heavy heart.

Chanyeol used to sing songs for him…and that moment, seeing him sing it for someone else broke his heart to bits.

** _“Don't you shiver, shiver, shiver. I'll always be waiting for you, so you know how much I need you.”_ **

“Do you want to go out first?” Jongdae spoke right on his ear. Baekhyun shook his head, still with the same smile.

“Nope. I’m fine here.” he said and dismissed the look of sympathy from him.

** _“And it's you I see, but you don't see me, and it's you I hear, so loud and clear._ **

** _I sing it loud and clear, and I'll always be waiting for you.”_ **

When the song ended, Baekhyun clapped the hardest he could, until his palms hurt. The people around did the same. Jongdae clapped as well, but his gaze travelled to Baekhyun every now and then.

Chanyeol opened his eyes finally. He stood straight, clearing his throat before he speak but he was taken aback when the people in front started pushing a girl towards the stage where he stood. He blinked rapidly when she finally reached the stage with an embarrassed smile on her face.

“Joy?”

“I-Is it true, Chanyeol? What they were…um…” she stuttered and her smile was hopeful, “Was it for me?”

Baekhyun didn’t know what was happening. But his chest hurt so badly. He wanted to run, but being the martyr he was, he waited until she’s hugging him tight on the stage where people cheered for them, until he saw it with his own eyes.

He ran, as fast, as quiet, as subtle as he could. Tears continued to fall from his eyes and not even Jongdae’s voice calling for his name made him stop.

Chanyeol’s widening eyes followed the person running out of the auditorium. He pulled Joy away from him and apologized. Without a second thought, he ran down the stage to follow him outside.

Baekhyun ran fast, not knowing where exactly he was headed. He was gritting his teeth all throughout, he didn’t want any sound to come out from his sobs.

“Baekhyun!”

Much to his horror, Chanyeol’s voice was following him from behind. He didn’t know if he was imagining things, since he just saw the said man confessing to another girl inside, so why _in hell _must he run after him?

But Baekhyun stood no chance against Chanyeol’s longer legs. When he reached the end of the hall where there was not a single person present, he already stopped running. Only a few seconds passed and he also heard Chanyeol’s steps getting closer to where he was panting. Baekhyun tried his very best to look as normal as he could, wiping his face dry and sniffing before Chanyeol could even stand beside him.

“Baek…”

The smaller boy gulped before facing him, trying to flash a blank expression. But when he saw Chanyeol’s serious face staring at him, he miserably failed as a sob escaped his lips. Chanyeol’s face shifted into a worried one, he tried to reach for Baekhyun’s arm like what he usually does but the other pulled it away by instinct.

“S-Sorry―I…” Baekhyun tried explaining but he couldn’t talk between his tears.

“What’s wrong, Baek?” Chanyeol still asked, “Why are you crying?”

Baekhyun shook his head, hands still on his face to harshly wipe his eyes. Chanyeol continued to demand an answer.

“Why are you crying this hard?”

Baekhyun sniffed and gulped, “H-Happy…” he shook his head once more, “I’m j-just…so h-happy.”

“Please don’t bullshit me.” Baekhyun stared at him wide-eyed when he spat a curse without a second thought, “You don’t cry that hard when you’re happy.”

Baekhyun smiled, “No…r-really. I really am.” he sniffed and tried to look at Chanyeol directly, but ended up looking at his shoulder instead, “I’m happy that you finally…found someone.” his face scrunched so he bit his lip hard. He looked down to the floor, ashamed of himself for failing to conceal the pain in front of Chanyeol.

“Baekhyun.”

“Y-You deserve it…Yeol.” he continued, “For years, I-I have loved you and only prayed that you’ll be the happiest…You’re the best person I’ve ever met and I’ve always done anything to make you happy and…” his voice broke, “…now you f-finally found someone to do the same. To do what I’ve always wanted to do…s-so I’m happy for you. You deserve it so much…”

Chanyeol didn’t answer right then. Baekhyun remained looking on the floor, trying to get his shit together and stop sobbing. When he looked at Chanyeol, the boy was staring at him, blinking a few times.

“You… love me?”

Baekhyun wanted to combust. Out of all the things he said, that’s what he responded?

“Yes…” Baekhyun sniffed, still avoiding eye contact, “O-Of course…we’ve been friends for―”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Baekhyun looked up to his eyes. His orbs were glistening with something Baekhyun cannot explain.

“Does it matter?” Baekhyun wasn’t able to control the bitterness in his voice, “You just confessed to someon―”

His following words went muffled when his face fell right on Chanyeol’s chest. His shorter height made it easier for Chanyeol to pull him closer by the nape, resting his chin over his head. Baekhyun’s arms froze on his sides, taken aback by this sudden action but didn’t try to complain nor ask.

“Idiot.” Chanyeol smiled against his hair, “Stupid, _stupid, _idiot.”

Baekhyun’s breath was hitching, his eyes were tearing up again, but for the opposite reason this time.

“Yeol…”

“I wasn’t going to confess to anyone, idiot.” he smiled bigger when he felt Baekhyun clutching his clothes behind, “It was for you. I was finally going to tell the dumb boy I fell in love with years ago that I am still very much in love with him and that I’m going to wait.”

“Chanyeol…” he cried harder against the taller’s chest, unable to believe that it’s all real. That it was really happening.

Chanyeol was really in love with him. Like how he was with him.

Tears were still pooling on Baekhyun’s eyes. They were soon wiped away by a pair of thumbs as soon as Chanyeol pulled away.

“Y-You’re not trying to prank me are you?” Baekhyun said and Chanyeol let out an airy laugh. Baekhyun laughed as well and Chanyeol failed to keep himself controlled when he held his face by his large hands to plant a kiss on his lips. Baekhyun smiled against them, “Are you really mine now?”

“Yes.” Chanyeol held his face close, “And I intend to keep it that way.”

“I almost thought you were replacing me tonight as the muse of your songs.” they both laughed when Chanyeol gently pinched his ear as he hugged him again.

“I love you, Ahn Baekhyun.” he felt mad for smiling this big, “The songs are always for you.”

**x **

Days, weeks, months were indescribable. To say that both Chanyeol and Baekhyun had the best love and lives to live with each other was definitely an understatement. It was pure bliss, and to think that something like that will end was not just absurd, but also unbearable.

“Eomma!” Baekhyun screeched once he got out of the shower, “I told you not to make Chanyeol do the chores! He’s a visitor!”

His mother only frowned at him while Chanyeol flashed him a grin. Nonetheless, they both continued washing the fishes for the dinner that night.

“Oh you’re exaggerating!” his mother snorted, “Chanyeol here, offered help. And it’s not like it’s new! Whenever he’s here, Chanyeol has always been helping me with the chores more than you do.”

He heard Yeri’s loud laughter filled with mock and Chanyeol even grinned wider when Baekhyun glared at all of them.

It was a simple dinner in a very special night at the Ahn household. There were only five of them around a small table but the laughter filled the house as if there’s even more.

Baekhyun was just laughing along with their jokes, blurting out some along the way, but the spotlight has always been on his boyfriend. Chanyeol was just adored by everyone, and his family wasn’t any exception. Sometimes he was thinking about the possibility of them completely adopting Chanyeol as their child instead. If only it was possible.

He felt a large hand on his leg, caressing it and Chanyeol buried his nose on the side of his neck. Baekhyun slightly felt stiff. Despite being together for a long time, he still can’t help getting so fidgety whenever Chanyeol’s being so intimate. And what’s worse than that? When they’re right in front of his parents and sister, who were really enjoying it more than he was, probably.

“You smell nice.” he hummed against his shoulder.

Baekhyun gulped before glancing at his sister who’s hiding a grin by drinking water, then to his parents who were subtly watching them with small smiles on their faces.

“Yeol…” he laughed awkwardly, “You’re embarrassing me.”

Chanyeol flashed a satisfied smile before pulling his head away, but his hand remained where it was. His father cleared his throat as he spoke.

“It is really nice of you to spend your birthday with us, Chanyeol-ah.” he said with a soft smile, “But…did your family agree to this? Please don’t get me wrong.”

Chanyeol only smiled timidly, “They did. We already had an advanced celebration last night…since they also went back to Busan this morning.”

“Ah…” he nodded and Mrs. Ahn smiled even wider, “You really chose to spend your birthday with our Baekhyun.”

“I…really want to spend my birthday with Baekhyun and your family. You’ve always been like parents to me too. You’ve always accepted me in your home like I’m one of you.”

“Oh you are, Chanyeol. You’re our son too.” his mother said, “Do you have any plans for college now? It’s almost your graduation.”

Chanyeol’s smile slightly faded. He looked beside him to see Baekhyun watching him as well, then he smiled again.

“I think…I’ll just be where Baekhyun is.”

Baekhyun stared at him for this. Happiness was flowing in his heart, and he realized…he couldn’t afford losing Chanyeol anymore.

His father gained their attention by clearing his throat once more.

“Chanyeol…about the corporation trying to buy your land…” he stopped when he saw how Chanyeol’s lips pursed into a thin line, “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have asked―”

“No, it’s fine.” Chanyeol assured him with a smile, “Don’t worry about it, Uncle. You won’t lose your job, no one will. I’m working on it.”

Baekhyun watched how his father slowly nodded with a forced smile on his face. He haven’t really talked to Chanyeol about this but that time, he didn’t want to ask further.

“Thank you for loving our son so dearly, Chanyeol-ah.” Mrs. Ahn genuinely said as they were cleaning the dinner table while Baekhyun was in his room, “Our son is very special to us and you know why. Now that you’re finally together, he’s just so lucky to have you.” she tapped his arm, “I hope and know that he’s safe with you. And that you’ll never hurt him. Love him forever like how we will, Chanyeol.”

“I will, Auntie.” he smiled, “And I’m luckier to have him. I’ll keep my promise to keep him.”

Baekhyun took one quick embarrassed look at the thing on his hand when his bedroom door opened. He quickly put it inside his small bag before turning around to see Chanyeol smiling at him while he stood beside the door.

“Are we good to go?” Chanyeol hugged him from behind, “We better get going. We don’t have a light in the cottage and we only have a single lamp on the way there.”

In the middle of the wheat field Chanyeol’s family owned, there was an old cottage where Baekhyun and Chanyeol spend time to do their homeworks, stargazing, and basically everything since they became best of friends. They renovated the cottage themselves so there are basic necessities there, though they don’t usually spend the whole night since there’s only a single bed and no…lighting.

And now that it’s Chanyeol’s birthday, he couldn’t really think of a better birthday gift.

“Do you really want to go there though?” Chanyeol asked, “I think it’s going to rain…the clouds are thick and you’re not finished with your homework yet.”

Baekhyun remained silent, only shaking his head as a response.

“Baby?” Chanyeol placed his chin on his shoulder, an old habit of his, “It’s Technical Drawing, isn’t it? Ah. That’s why you haven’t finished it yet. Don’t worry, I’ll do it for you.”

“No, Yeol. Let’s go to the cottage.” Baekhyun mumbled.

“But it’s almost your deadline! Babe, you know I can’t let your grades―”

“I know, Yeol. But it’s your birthday.” Baekhyun looked at him directly, “I haven’t given you my gift yet.”

Chanyeol chuckled, “Gift? I thought the dinner was your―”

“No. Not…that.” Chanyeol’s smile faded when Baekhyun remained serious, though his cheeks were going light pink, “The o-other…gift.”

The lamp almost fell by how it was harshly placed on the corner. Baekhyun was tearing up, both in agony and anticipation.

“Chanyeol…” he huffed when the taller continued kissing him on his jaw down to his neck.

He lay down on the hard bed, made only of wood and covered with a thin mattress. He’s pretty sure about the pain on his back tomorrow, but seriously, does it matter?

He groaned against Chanyeol’s lips when the latter’s thumb found its way to his nipples, rubbing them against his rough skin. Chanyeol demanded a way in his mouth with his tongue, in which he gladly opened up.

He looked down to where Chanyeol stood on the corner of the bed. He can only see the way his hair was messed up when he pulled his shirt off through his neck. Baekhyun, on the other hand, got the light from lamp directed on him, probably exposing his flushed face and naked torso.

Chanyeol crawled below him, his hand found its way to the tent forming on Baekhyun’s crotch area. He let his hand rub it and waited for Baekhyun to let out the sound he wanted to hear.

“You sure about this, baby?” Chanyeol asked deeper than how his voice usually was, “You don’t have to force yourself just to give me a present.”

Baekhyun nodded his head in an instant. He’s sure about this. More than anything.

Chanyeol took this cue to take every move under his control now. He exhaled a heavy breath before pulling Baekhyun’s thin sweatpants off, exposing the thighs he have always had the pleasure of holding every day. Though this night was the first time they ever took things further.

And it probably was the perfect gift.

Baekhyun closed his eyes when Chanyeol’s hands travelled on his fully exposed skin, touching him everywhere but there.

“C-Chanyeol…”

“We’ll take this slow, Baek.” Chanyeol huffed against his skin, “I don’t wanna hurt you.”

_Oh screw it._

“B-But I want you now…” he said, almost inaudibly…but not to Chanyeol.

He crawled up to kiss him more, “So do I.”

Chanyeol kissed him again, this time deeper and a little rougher. He could feel his teeth nibbling his lips in the process. And in the midst of it, Chanyeol was already palming his dick underneath.

“Hmm―oh…” he gulped when two of his finger began rubbing his hole down there, tracing the rim like his own. Chanyeol’s kisses went down until he’s already back where he started, kissing the inside of Baekhyun’s thighs, biting and sucking to leave marks.

“O-Oh god…” Baekhyun breathed raggedly when he felt the two fingers getting replaced by his tongue. Chanyeol placed both his thighs over his shoulders, spreading his cheeks wider to devour him deeper.

“Chanyeol!” he took a handful of his hair below as Chanyeol drove him wild, even moaning against his rim that made Baekhyun tear up. When Baekhyun started screaming for more, his other hand left his thigh to wrap them around Baekhyun’s cock, pumping it gently while he did the magic under.

More than any song he ever played, no one can ever compare to Baekhyun’s voice calling for his name, shouting it as if he knew no other name than Chanyeol.

His voice was already raspy from all the screaming when he reached his climax. Chanyeol finished him off by moving his hand faster while three fingers did the job inside him. He splatted his juice all over his tummy and Chanyeol’s fingers.

The sound of leather made him open his eyes again and fight the drowsiness. Chanyeol was already pulling the belt away from his waist and the pants soon followed as they fell on his feet with his underwear. Baekhyun stared at his glory, standing hard and proud like Chanyeol himself.

“In my pocket, Yeol…” he mumbled, sounding needy this time, “The lube…”

Chanyeol effortlessly pulled the bottle out of Baekhyun’s pants before he eventually raised his brows on him.

“Where did you get this?” Chanyeol smirked, surprised that Baekhyun’s capable of purchasing such thing.

“J-Jongdae bought it for me…” he breathed heavily when Chanyeol managed to chuckle, “Judge me later, will you? I just need you to pound in me now.”

He watched Chanyeol with so much pain and anticipation as the other slowly put some of the sticky substance on his cock, putting the rest of it on his hole.

Baekhyun snuffled when Chanyeol was already pulling him closer, arching his hip higher to trace the flesh between his cheeks with his coated cock. Baekhyun looked straight to Chanyeol, who’s also doing the same with his eyes now filled with desire. He let out a few deep grunts while he continued to rub his tip against his rim. Right then, he slowly pushed himself inside.

Baekhyun’s cheeks and neck are now in a deep shade of red, his breathing was labored as he waited for Chanyeol to fill him completely, which took a while considering his long and thick mass.

As soon as Chanyeol filled him ‘til his base, the taller adjusted their bodies and wrapped his legs around him. He drooped down to kiss Baekhyun on the lips as he began thrusting, making sure he distract Baekhyun from the pain.

Tears pooled on the side of Baekhyun’s eyes as Chanyeol rocked in him continuously. Beads of sweat started to form on Chanyeol’s nape, and so was on Baekhyun’s neck and temples. The heat and tension were too much for him to take. Chanyeol’s lips moved on the corner of his mouth to his chin as he thrusted faster.

“Y-Yeol…”

Chanyeol pressed his nose on Baekhyun’s cheek as he moved even more vigorously.

“F-Fuck…” he cussed under his breath, “God knows how much I need you like this.”

Baekhyun was already breathing through his mouth, along with his gasps and moans. Chanyeol sat straight to fuck him faster, balls deep.

“Ah! C-Chanyeol!” he clutched the sheets tighter with his sweaty hands, “M-More! _Agh_―please!”

And Chanyeol did what he was told. He gave more. _Everything. _Until Baekhyun was a crying mess under him, a beautiful one, he didn’t stop.

Darkness filled his vision when he shut his eyes tight, he could feel something in him clenching. As if there’s a trigger about to be pulled. His moans complimented Chanyeol’s very well. The deafening silence of the night and the empty field brought emphasis to their voices and breathing.

Baekhyun was already on the edge of the bed because of the movements on top of him that shifted his body up. He screamed Chanyeol’s name as he reached his second climax, pouring more on to his already coated torso and to Chanyeol. He was breathing frantically, not even thinking straight from all the pleasure and bliss, when Chanyeol followed. He was filled with his warm cum inside, pouring some on his cheeks and thighs. He watched every expression Chanyeol made, the way his brows furrowed and his arm muscles flexed. His eyelids were already heavy, the sleepy gaze directed on Baekhyun under him was still full of passion and desire as he moved slowly. He made sure to fill him ‘til the last drop before he weakly settled his body next to the panting male.

Right then, the heavy rain fell outside. It seemed to them that the skies only made way for them until they finish before finally pouring the rain this hard.

Something about it made Baekhyun smile as he trace Chanyeol’s arm placed on his waist with his fingers. Their legs were tangled to each other and the mattress and sheets were almost on the floor, begging for them to be fixed. Baekhyun felt Chanyeol placing soft kisses on his temple and hair. The heavy rainfall outside formed silhouette on Baekhyun’s beautiful face.

“I love you so much, Baek.” he whispered and placed another deep kiss on the side of his forehead, “So much…”

Baekhyun smiled on his own, “Happy birthday, Yeol.” he tilted his face up to meet Chanyeol’s kiss with his lips instead, “Take my heart with you, always.”

And the sun shined brightly the next morning despite the rain that night. Nine years ago, the sun was shining in Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s life.

Those memories bring comfort and warmth in Baekhyun’s heart every time, thinking that once in his life, everything was fine.


	5. 4-Promised

The intensity from last night came hitting Baekhyun like a damn truck when he woke up the next morning and the tingling pain traveled all throughout his limbs and muscles. The raw smell of air and wet fields were welcomed by his nostrils, making him scrunch his nose while a smile formed on his lips.

He could clearly remember how Chanyeol handled him the previous night, shifting from one way to another. He was holding Baekhyun with so much care and gentleness, yet completely lost control when they were both drowned into the intoxicating desire for each other. He could still feel every grip, every touch and every kiss on his skin. Baekhyun blushed with the thought. He didn’t and never will regret giving his first to Chanyeol.

His hand crawled to the mattress beside him before even opening his eyes. When his hand felt nothing but emptiness, that’s where he tried to see where Chanyeol had gone. His eyes were still puffy from the peaceful sleep, he was rubbing them as he sat up. Turned out Chanyeol was only standing at the window on the corner, now in his shorts but his upper body was still bare. He was holding on both the edge of the window while looking straight ahead, as if in deep thought.

Baekhyun silently slid through his boxers and stood up to walk towards him. Chanyeol didn’t even notice him until a pair of arms were circling around his exposed waist and a familiar warmth was on his back.

“Up so early…” Baekhyun mumbled against his back that placed a small smile on his face. He held Baekhyun’s clasped hands in front of him with his big hand, “Did you sleep?”

Chanyeol only hummed as a response. He was rubbing Baekhyun’s arm with his thumb before he unclasped his hands in front of him to pull him in front of him. Baekhyun’s now in front while Chanyeol held him from behind.

They stayed in silence for quite a while, observing the beauty of the view outside that was already so familiar to them, yet still enchanting. They held each other, caressing each other’s skin while Chanyeol placed subtle kisses on his head. Without knowing what time of the day it was, Baekhyun figures that it’s still very early. There were no sounds from the pickup trucks and harvesters from the nearby road yet. The sky was only beginning to clear from the clouds and rain and the distant part of the field wasn’t visible because of the thick fog. They were surrounded by a faint hue of orange.

“Yeol, is everything okay?” Baekhyun spoke out of the blue when he remembered finally asking the question bothering him for quite some time, “I mean…in your house? Or your parents?”

Chanyeol only sighed against his hair. He didn’t need to answer. Baekhyun wasn’t naïve to notice his subtle phone calls that often ended with him having a bad temper. Chanyeol was also spending more time in their factory, even more than his team practices and music gigs. He was also frequently spacing out and will only pretend like it’s nothing once Baekhyun asked.

“You know you can tell me.” he added, touching his hand with encouragement. But Baekhyun knew that if Chanyeol wouldn’t want to say anything, he wouldn’t force him to.

Chanyeol leaned his forehead against the back of his head, falling in silence once again that Baekhyun almost thought he won’t speak.

“You know the big corporation I once mentioned…” he muttered close to Baekhyun’s ear, “the one based in Seoul?”

Baekhyun nodded, “What about it?”

Chanyeol paused for a while.

“They want to buy our land, all two-hundred and thirty hectares because apparently, they’re planning to expand their scope in our town with their _goddamn_ business.” he was almost spitting his words in anger. Baekhyun blinked when he couldn’t answer instantly.

“D-Did your father…”

“He almost did.” Chanyeol gritted his teeth, “Can you fucking believe that? The land and business started by my grandfather, the land I grew to love, and the land where…” Chanyeol breathed in between, “Where my life belongs…he can see it being taken away from us? From me?” his chest was already heaving as he spoke, “He told me their offer was good, and it can open bigger doors for us. But I know it’s bullshit. I’ve heard how that company works. They’re cunning. I’m not someone they can fool. And I-I refuse to believe my Dad…of all people, will be fooled by that.”

“But why?” Baekhyun asked while gripping his hand tighter, “I don’t understand why he’ll do such thing…”

Chanyeol’s father was a lot like him. Every person in this place knew how good of a man he was. He had a great passion for business and their people and he had always been involved in charitable projects for the province.

He didn’t see how Chanyeol’s eyes softened because of the question. A hint of pain flashed through them.

“H-He said…” he paused when he stuttered, “That everything’s not going well, and soon…the land and business are about to fall. He said he’s trying to save us earlier before it’s even too late.” Baekhyun shifted his body around to face Chanyeol. He held Chanyeol’s clenching jaw with his hands, trying to help him calm down, “I don’t fucking believe that, Baekhyun. I’m not dumb! I know that there are a lot of setbacks that threaten us but it isn’t going to fail! And now what? He wants me to leave this place and study abroad so that I’ll have more things to focus on instead. He wants me to leave everything like this! I don’t understand him…” he exhaled heavily after his words.

Baekhyun gulped with what he heard. He’s aware that there are a lot of rivals coming up one by one, but he didn’t know about the Park’s possibility of downfall. As much as he knew, their empire was still stable.

And don’t even get him started with the thought of seeing Chanyeol leave. His heart was clenching.

“That’s why I’ve been very persistent these past few months. I’m trying to prove him wrong. That this land is ours and so is our company. That it isn’t going to fail. And if it does, then I’ll be the first person to stand for it. I am not some spineless coward who’ll turn my back from all of this and leave.” he looked straight at Baekhyun’s eyes as he continued, “I belong to this place, Baek. I don’t want to waste my grandfather and Dad’s efforts. I don’t want every single person who works for us to lose their source of living. The places and people who began here will remain here as long as they want. I won’t let anyone change that.”

From the way his eyes fell on the fields outside, Baekhyun could tell he was seething in frustration. He rubbed Chanyeol’s shoulders down to his arm, and when Chanyeol remained breathing heavily, he held him by the face.

Chanyeol’s eyes softened in an instant when they fell on Baekhyun’s gleaming ones, as if giving him assurance that he didn’t know he needed.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Yeol.” he rubbed his cheek with his thumb and Chanyeol’s heart felt like going out of his chest, “You’ll make it through. I know you will.”

“This place is everything to me, Baek…” he held the hand on his face to move them on his lips. His eyes were filled of pain and worry, “More than anything, I promised you everything here. This is where we began, and I’ll stay with you here.”

Baekhyun smiled, “For good?”

That was all he ever wanted. It would be a dream to stay with Chanyeol in this place where their love was born.

The taller kissed his forehead before embracing him tight, “’til death.”

It was only a promise, and like any other of its kind, it’s meant to end up broken.

“Baekhyun-ah, can you run to the market for this please?”

The small brunette sipped from the large spoon with the hot broth. He hummed as a response to his mother, who’s busy making the side dishes in the living room. When he got satisfied with the taste of his own work, he wiped the sweat forming on his forehead before rushing out to the living room.

“The list?” his mother only pointed the piece of paper on the couch, “the soup is done, Ma―_aish, _why is this so long? What did you just buy this morning?”

“Stop complaining brat, you’re the one who insisted on adding another dish!” his mother snorted and he had no choice so he only sighed.

“Fine, I’ll just make it fast. Just keep Chanyeol in company once he arrives―don’t- make him do the chores!”

“Tss! Go on now, will you? And don’t rush into going home too much, make sure you pick the ingredients well!”

He grabbed the old small bike outside the door and wasted no time hopping onto it. It only took him a few minutes to arrive at the crowded market. He began roaming around to find each ingredient he needed to buy while he placed his small cellphone over his ear.

“Yeol, where are you?” he wasn’t able to hide the whine in his voice when the person from the other line didn’t arrive at the time he promised.

_“Chill out, babe, I’m on my way.” _the chuckle right after made him break into a smile, _“Just bid Mom and Dad goodbye ‘cos they’re leaving for Seoul. I’m coming now, I won’t miss Yeri’s birthday! And the food! Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”_

He bit his lip when Chanyeol’s joyful voice and laugh echoed in his ear. It was the most precious sound. His heart felt light just by hearing it.

“I knew they’re the only ones you’ll come for.”

He faked a disappointed tone and immediately heard the laugh and teasing coos right after.

_“My ever so insecure baby.” _people around shoot him glances when he smiled bigger than he should, _“I won’t tell you not to be threatened by them, I mean…they’re quite a catch. One day you’ll wake up and I’ll be Yeri’s bro-in-law while I get to eat Auntie’s cooking every morning. You should really be threatened.” _ he couldn’t help wheezing by this, followed by his airy laughter when Chanyeol cracked more jokes.

“I hate you.” he snorted, “Anyways, I’ll talk to you later. I need to run some errands here in the market.”

_“Need a hand? I can go there first to help you.”_

“Nope, brought the bike with me.” he said, “Go straight to our house…Yeri and your food are waiting for you there.” he rolled his eyes.

_“Aaaaah.” _he smiled again, _“Alright, can’t wait to see you bug. I love you so so so―” _ Baekhyun flipped his phone close to end the call while chuckling. Chanyeol was surely groaning somewhere.

More than a year of being together already felt like forever. Throughout the months, a lot of things had already happened. They graduated high school, both with special awards. They enrolled in the same college, just different departments. Chanyeol had also completely convinced his father about the land and Baekhyun hadn’t seen him stress over it for a while.

Sometimes, Chanyeol would sleep over at their house, especially whenever he missed Baekhyun’s Mom’s cooking. Sometimes, they’d sleep in the cottage, where they did homework and _other things. _Now that they graduated, they’re left to do just these other things, while they cuddle the morning after. Sometimes, they’d roam around the area using Chanyeol’s scooter and help with the harvest, joining the farmers’ boodle fight right after. Sometimes, they’d skinny dip in the river beside the hill when it’s dawn so that no one would be there and they’d crack the most inappropriate jokes that would leave the other one breathless while laughing. Sometimes, they’d argue over little things but not a day would pass until Chanyeol goes to his house to suffocate him with a tight hug until he’s forgiven him.

Everything wasn’t perfect, but it felt right.

They’d been with each other for so long, accepted each other’s flaws and imperfections. They’d become the best of themselves while being together. They promised each other so many things, strong enough and can only be broken by the worst things.

And so they came.

It took Baekhyun almost an hour before he could complete the list on his hand. He thanked the vendor who helped him fix all his bags on his bicycle before he stepped on the pedal to go home. He was panting when he reached the front of their small house, the wide smile on his face faded when he saw that it was still empty from a scooter he was expecting.

_Maybe he didn’t bring it. _

But why won’t he?

Baekhyun stopped contemplating outside to rush the ingredients inside. They needed to finish all the dishes, even just before Chanyeol arrives. Baekhyun was still in deep thought when he placed the bags on the table. A part of him wished that he would hear the loud and deep laughter in the living room but it was as empty as before. Chanyeol wasn’t really there yet. His heart felt uneasy for some reason.

“Eomma,” he called gently, “Hasn’t Chanyeol arrived yet?”

His mother shook her head. Her face was immediately scrawled with worry as well, “No. Did you already talk? I was also expecting him to come earlier…”

“We have…but…” he mumbled nervously and got his phone from his pocket.

“What did he say?” his mother followed him to the living room but stopped when she saw him placing the phone on his ear, “Try contacting him again.”

Baekhyun almost hitched his breath when the last ring finished without someone picking up.

“He’s not answering…”

His mother walked towards him, “Try calling their headquarters. They might know something.”

Baekhyun did. With racing heartbeat, he walked outside while waiting for someone to pick up again. He looked around their street, hoping to see Chanyeol coming but everything around him remained quiet.

He bit his lip, exhaling heavily, “Chanyeol…where are you?” he mumbled under his breath when the ringing only continued.

He tried and tried, for a lot of times. But his calls were still unanswered. With heaving chest, he went back inside their house and saw his mother waiting for him.

“What?”

“No one’s answering. I tried for a couple of times.” Baekhyun’s voice was already filled with so much worry.

His mother nodded, trying to assure him nothing’s wrong, “Maybe his phone went out of battery, or he needed to go somewhere else first. Let’s just wait, okay?”

Where could he possibly gone to when he was already on his way a while ago? Baekhyun’s head was about to burst because of so much thoughts and questions running inside it. One thing for sure was that he’s scared as hell and he didn’t feel good. If Chanyeol really had something to settle first, he wasn’t the type of person to not inform him and keep him waiting.

“Just help me finish these first so if he com―”

_“HAYOUNG-AH! HAYOUNG!”_

Baekhyun met his mother’s gaze before they rushed outside their door. The old woman from the next door was standing in front of their house while she continued calling for Baekhyun’s mother.

“Eunha…” Baekhuyn remained standing at their door, watching his mother walk towards the woman while his heart almost jumped out of his ribcage, “What is it?”

Baekhyun didn’t fail to see how the woman’s eyes fell on where he was, before she looked back to his mother.

“Have you heard what happened downtown?” she tried to keep her voice down but Baekhyun heard it well, “My goodness, Hayoung…it’s horrendous.”

“What happened?”

“A massacre!” her voice was filled with horror, “Farmers were killed in different areas, mostly Park’s workers! Police are patrolling around the areas now. Some were shot and some were…” her palm covered her mouth when she wasn’t able to continue, “Jesus…”

“Oh my god!” his mother had to hold on to the nearest wall. Baekhyun was frozen in shock from where he stood.

_Chanyeol…_

“And the couple!” she continued that shook Baekhyun to the core, “The Park couple…ambushed, Hayoung. Their car was shot until they were dead.”

Baekhyun fell on the ground as soon as a gasp came out of his mother’s lips. He was breathing through his lips. He could hear his heartbeat against his ear.

He refused to believe it was real. Something that horrible couldn’t be real.

“C-Chanyeol…” was the first thing that escaped his lips. He stood up, still unable to grasp everything that was happening. His feet did the job as he ran outside as fast as he could.

“Baekhyun!” his mother called but he was suddenly deaf for anything.

He was panting heavily as he ran, his eyes were brimming with tears.

Baekhyun couldn’t take any of this. And if something happened to Chanyeol, he wouldn’t know what to do. He wouldn’t be able to handle it.

He reached the Park’s land, squeezing his body against the sea of people surrounding the chaotic area. Police mobile cars and ambulance were spread around, including some media that were trying to gain information about what happened. Baekhyun managed to get in front, where he was blocked by a yellow crime scene tape and a bunch of policemen. He gasped and covered his mouth when he saw a bunch of corpses of innocent farmers lying on the ground, some of them still had their eyes open, reflecting the horror they felt from the last minute of their lives. Baekhyun sobbed and clutched his chest with his other hand. The images were flashing inside his head even when stopped looking at them.

“S-S-Sir…can I-I just―”

“No, boy. I’m afraid you can’t go inside. Step back!”

Baekhyun continued pleading between his sobs, “P-Please…I’m looking f-for my f-friend―”

He wasn’t able to finish when the police pushed him away. He almost fell to the ground but he managed to keep his balance.

His eyes caught a familiar car from the distance. It was also crowded, but there are more people surrounding it.

Baekhyun stepped towards it. His knees were wobbling in fear, nonetheless, he wanted to find out.

Despite being blocked by a lot of people in front, Baekhyun could see the black van, holes from the bullets surrounded it. The ambulance was parked beside it and Baekhyun held his breath as he tried to get himself between the people.

No way he’d see Chanyeol hurt in there. No way he’d see Chanyeol…lifeless there.

No way.

Everything around felt so slow and muffled. All he could hear was his own breathing and mumbles of plead.

He took his final step before he reached the front of the crowd. And there he was. He was alive, but the scenario wasn’t less devastating.

Chanyeol was there, weakly sitting on the ground with his parents’ lifeless bodies on both his sides. Baekhyun’s heart was crushed…into very small pieces, in every way possible. Chanyeol was hugging his mother tight, letting his tears fall on her head. His hand was tightly grasping his father’s hand, as if hoping he could wake him up from his eternal sleep. Blood stains were all over his clothes and face.

“No…please…” his voice made Baekhyun break down even more, “M-Mom…I love y-you…D-Dad…please d-don’t…”

Baekhyun couldn’t endure watching him for too long. His chest hurt so much. Chanyeol looked so fragile…as if his world just crushed right in front of him. He didn’t care about the people surrounding him. He was wailing like a child, calling for his parents, mumbling the words _no _and _please. _His face was stained with both tears and blood.

The murmurs of people, shouts of commotion and car noises surround them, but Baekhyun can only hear Chanyeol’s cries. He was begging. He was pleading something, someone, to let this all be just a bad dream. And there’s nothing more shattering to see other than that.

_“Don’t you want to go home first?”_

Baekhyun took a quick look at the door behind him.

“Eomma…Chanyeol still isn’t well.”

There was only silence from the other line. Baekhyun sighed, the guilt inside him was getting worse.

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled.

_“Baekhyun…” _he noticed how much she wanted to hold herself back from saying it, _“Your father…”_

He shut his eyes tight.

“The medicine I bought?”

_“It didn’t improve his condition.”_

Baekhyun didn’t answer for a while. He tried to sort all his problems out in his mind but all seemed to be getting more and more difficult to solve.

“I’ll find another job. I’ll go home this week.” he said, “he needs a doctor, Eomma.”

Her voice broke from the other line and he needed to keep his strength to keep himself sane.

_“I-I’m sorry, Baekhyun-ah…” _she cried and Baekhyun’s heart was twisting in his chest, _“You shouldn’t be doing this…Y-You should be studying…”_

“Ma…” he gulped to keep his voice stable, “It’s fine. I’m fine. I can still study in the future. Appa’s alive, that’s what matters.”

He finished their conversation with a heavy heart. Baekhyun spaced out for a while, like how he always did for the past few weeks, contemplating about his problems, cheering himself up to keep going.

His father wasn’t involved in the massacre. He wasn’t in duty that day, to what Baekhyun found fortunate. But it didn’t change what happened. It didn’t change the fact that he completely lost his job and their only source of living. It didn’t change the fact that he got ill, while his son strived to provide for him while taking care of his lover as well.

The investigation was still ongoing. There was no reliable witness from the account. They made sure all the people who saw what happened also ended up as cold corpses. There was a lot of suspects, but none of them was proven guilty yet. There wasn’t any big progress.

Chanyeol…wasn’t well, of course. He would barely speak, and sometimes he’d wake up in the middle of the night crying so hard. Baekhyun needed to stay beside him all the time.

Baekhyun woke up from his sea of thoughts when the door behind him opened. Chanyeol’s uncle got out from it, he looked at Baekhyun the same way he did when he first arrived, to which Baekhyun only respond with a timid smile.

“He still wouldn’t talk that much.” he said sternly before clicking his tongue, “That kid. Being like that won’t help him at all.”

Baekhyun’s brows slightly furrowed in distaste, he tried to conceal it to remain courteous. _Being like that?_

“He was traumatized, Sir.”

The businessman looked at him with aversion. He was obviously preventing himself to completely snap at the boy in front of him, who he thought was acting more than he should. He looked like Chanyeol, obviously sharing the same blood. Only difference was, Chanyeol had a heart.

“Well, then…let’s hope he’s done being traumatized soon so that he’ll realize he still needs to fix a lot of things in his life.”

Baekhyun pursed his lips tight.

“Please contact me immediately once my nephew gets a grip of himself so that I can finally book his flight to Seoul.”

It was his cue to speak again.

“Seoul?” he spoke gently, “Sorry…I must’ve misunderstood. But Chanyeol didn’t tell me anything about going to Seoul. Especially now―”

The sarcastic laugh of the man in front of him resonated within the hall.

“That’s because he doesn’t get to decide about this.”

Baekhyun shook his head.

“You don’t understand do you?” the man almost spat his words, “His family has been on the edge of bankruptcy ever since. Everything here will not be his, sooner or later. He will need to accept being under my care whether he likes it or not.” his chuckle brought so much hatred to Baekhyun, “And why would he even turn down such offer? To study abroad? Inherit a bigger company?”

“Because he belongs to this place.” Baekhyun said firmly, “He wouldn’t want to leave. It’s his choice to stay here.”

Chanyeol’s uncle laughed again, this time sarcasm dripped from it like acid.

“Oh he does?” Baekhyun was already gritting his teeth, “What else is left for him here? His family is gone. His parents left him nothing but money, not that huge even. What would keep him here?”

_Me._

It took a lot of courage for Baekhyun to dismiss his mocking remarks. He kept his gaze on the floor.

“The land doesn’t even belong to him anymore.” he shook his head while smiling slyly, “You sure know what you’re talking about?”

Baekhyun looked at him because of this.

“What?” he was frantically shaking his head, “That land is his. His parents owned that. It automatically goes to him!”

“Well not if his father sold it to someone else before he died.” he raised his brow.

“No…” he shook his head again, now slower, “he didn’t…”

Chanyeol’s uncle looked at him with so much humor. It was as if he was being ridiculed for this.

“Keep Chanyeol in company…” he narrowed his eyes, “what’s your name again?”

He gulped before answering, “Baekhyun.”

He pursed his lips while nodding, as if he wasn’t really interested.

“Baekhyun.” he grinned before tapping the smaller boy, “after all, you two seem to share the same wise insights about things.” he left right then.

Baekhyun tried to keep all his words out of his mind as he watched Chanyeol’s uncle leaving the place together with a bunch of bodyguards. He waited for the convoy to completely leave before he went back inside the house. This time, the words from the man he spoke to came rushing back to him.

He didn’t believe Chanyeol’s father would sell their property like that. It was all they had. Something didn’t feel right.

And Chanyeol wouldn’t leave him like what the man said. They promised each other. Chanyeol wouldn’t break that.

Baekhyun got a glimpse of himself in front of the mirror along the hallway. He lost weight, the dark circles around his eyes were also visible. He had been overthinking and worrying over so many things for the past few weeks. He was exhausted. He didn’t know why everything went wrong for their once happy life.

Baekhyun didn’t know when or how he fell asleep, with a very uncomfortable position on the couch. But it was surely an ungodly hour of the night when his eyes opened wide as loud crashing sound reverberated from the room upstairs.

His feet ran so fast that he almost tripped on the stairs. He quickly opened the door of Chanyeol’s room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw broken pieces of glass on the floor, Chanyeol was sitting on the floor while his head weakly dangled in front of him. Baekhyun gasped when he saw the blood dripping from Chanyeol’s hand as he clutched a sharp glass in his hand.

“Chanyeol!” he immediately rushed to where he was, avoiding the glasses along his way. He carefully sat in front of him, slowly touching the taller’s hand to grab the pointed glass away from him. Baekhyun bit his lip to keep his crying silent.

Once he put the glass away from Chanyeol, he held his face with both his hands. Chanyeol met his glistening eyes with his exhausted ones. Baekhyun shut his eyes as tears fell down from them. He never wanted to see Chanyeol like this. It hurts him more than anything.

Chanyeol’s eyes were tired, almost lifeless. But his face was stained with tears. Baekhyun embraced him tight, not wanting to let go. He wanted to let Chanyeol know that he was there, every time he felt like giving up.

“C-Chanyeol please…don’t do this…” it was hurting him. He wanted the old Chanyeol back. The one with the biggest grin on his face and the deep laughter to keep him alive. He wanted him back, but in order to have that, he knew he needed to stay with him in times like this.

“I can’t do this anymore Baek…” his voice lacked life in it.

He shook his head while shedding more tears. If he can, then Chanyeol can. He’ll be his strength. His support system.

Not a minute after when Chanyeol was also sobbing against his neck. He clutched Baekhyun’s shirt as he cried, staining it with his bloody hands.

“I w-will kill them, Baek…” he cried against Baekhyun’s neck, “Whoever did this…_I’ll kill them myself._” the pain and rage in his voice sent daggers in Baekhyun’s heart. It was what he feared the most. When anger began taking over Chanyeol’s system.

It was then, eight years ago. When Baekhyun saw everything being taken away from Chanyeol, when he did nothing wrong. He had seen how the person who had always been his rock, the one who calmed his storms, was crushed into pieces and became the one in need of him.

Baekhyun won’t leave, no matter what happens.

Because he promised to stay. So that’s what he did. And what he does, still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you also leave comments or kudos if you can ^ ^


	6. 5-Come Back

Baekhyun remembers everything perfectly, as if it was only yesterday.

Chanyeol indeed gave him all his firsts. First love, first kiss, first sex, first dream. First everything.

For the first time in his life, he watched himself slowly becoming the person he used to pity. He played blind and deaf. Because more than anything, he loved Chanyeol. And he believed that it was only his rage surfacing, but deep inside, he’s still the same man who was his best friend, the man he loved.

He had seen him change, right in front of his eyes. Every day, he felt like seeing a different person getting worse. No matter how much he denied it, Chanyeol was never the same.

Baekhyun used to think that if he stayed, he would’ve helped him get back on his feet and bring his life to what it was before. And it felt like an insult, like he was slapped right across his face. Because he did everything he could, everything he thought was right, but it just didn’t work.

It was painful. Because Chanyeol eagerly yearned for something. Something that didn’t include him.

There was a pang on the back of his neck, along with the same twitching pain running over his left arm where he was leaning his head the whole time. Even opening his eyes was a struggle. He didn’t know how long he slept in the same position but it sure wasn’t enough based on how heavy his eyelids and head were.

As soon as he opened his eyes, Chanyeol’s face was the first thing he saw close to him. His stare was lingering on Baekhyun’s face even before the latter woke up.

Baekhyun’s face slightly twitched when he stretched his arms as he sat up. He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and yawned heavily. Chanyeol remained watching him all throughout.

“Where have you been?”

He should’ve known. Chanyeol only flashed a small smile, more like a forced one, as he began shaking his head again.

“Just fixed something.”

Bullshit. Until when will he hear this alibi? Baekhyun wasn’t dumb enough to just buy everything he says.

Yet he nodded. With a smile, he did.

“I see.” he slowly nodded, “What time is it?”

Chanyeol’s eyes remained at him for a while before checking his wrist.

“1:24.”

Baekhyun felt this urge again. The urge to just break down. He was exhausted and worn out. All the emotions were getting out of hand for him to control.

He gulped, trying to keep his smile, “I’ve been here since seven, Yeol.”

They were covered by silence. Baekhyun’s eyes didn’t dare to meet Chanyeol’s. He remained looking at the opened books and notes in front of him while trying to get his shit together. Right then, he exhaled a huge breath as he closed them one by one.

“I’m going home…” he mumbled. He was unable to keep the disappointment in his voice, “Next time just… send me a message if you’re here and I’ll go straight after my class and shift.”

He always did this, no matter how tired he was from studying and working double jobs, he still found a way to go to Chanyeol. He needed to take care of his sick father too, who was not getting any better. Baekhyun was tired. Especially every time he tried to understand Chanyeol whenever he suddenly disappeared or became unresponsive. Baekhyun understood. But everyone has their limits, and so did he.

“I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun subtly bit his lip, not sparing the man beside him a glance as he continued fixing his things to leave. He was almost done when Chanyeol’s hand held his to stop him from moving. His action alone demanded Baekhyun’s gaze to be on him.

“Baek…” once his eyes fell on those dark orbs, Baekhyun couldn’t help crying. He wasn’t able to hold everything into place. He wasn’t able to wait until he’s alone to let it all out, “I’m sorry. Sorry…” Chanyeol was holding his face, mumbling the same words. He pulled the smaller close to him and embraced him tight. Chanyeol remained sitting on the high chair while Baekhyun stood in front with his arms around him.

He pulled away after a few minutes, sniffing and wiping his eyes dry while Chanyeol watched him. He just finished but he felt like breaking down again when thoughts came back to his mind.

Chanyeol pulled him again by the hand, letting their foreheads touch while he waited for Baekhyun to look at him. But Baekhyun’s bloodshot eyes remained on the empty space below.

“I…” he whispered and closed his mouth again when he tried to find the right words, “What’s happening to us?”

For a moment, he thought he saw Chanyeol’s gaze softened. But in only a snap, he went back to not being able to tell what’s going on in his mind. He used to know it so well. But since everything that happened, all he could see in those eyes were confusion, exhaustion.

Rage.

“Everything’s fine…” Chanyeol kissed his cheek, holding the other one with his hand. “We’re fine, baby…you know I love you, right?” he mumbled against Baekhyun’s skin, he sounded so exhausted, “Come here.”

He felt Chanyeol’s lips crashing on his own, his kisses were longing and full of demand, not allowing him to catch his breath. Baekhyun savored it, he missed him just as much but it won’t change the confusion he had for everything.

“Y-Yeol…” he panted when he was able to push his chest away despite being held tight in Chanyeol’s arms, “I’m going home…”

Chanyeol held his face still as he shook his head, his eyes were suddenly pleading.

“Stay here.” he breathed against his lips, his hands began traveling down, “Stay with me, baby…I missed you.”

His kisses were deep, his hands were moving all over Baekhyun’s back. He was sensually touching him everywhere that Baekhyun couldn’t help moaning.

“Chanyeol…”

“Make love to me Baek.” he tilted his head up when Chanyeol started kissing him on his jaw and neck, rubbing him down there. “Please…”

He didn’t refuse. He let him kiss him, and he kissed him back. He let him touch him, hold him, even harder than he usually did. That night, he lost himself into a fantasy that was never real. He made himself believe that for once, Chanyeol was the same person he had always been loving like this.

“Come back…” Baekhyun grunted under his breath right after telling him he loved him. Chanyeol was moving faster on top of him, mouth parted as they both felt it coming. Baekhyun was finally able to say it, “I w-want my…Chanyeol back…please.”

Chanyeol stared at him because of this, his movement became even more rushed as he lifted Baekhyun’s waist higher, thrusting in while raggedly breathing. Baekhyun didn’t say anything more, aside from his moans and grunts. Skin to skin, Chanyeol groaned when he filled him up to the brim. The back of Baekhyun’s head weakly fell on the bed beneath him, splatting his own juice on both their bodies.

Baekhyun shifted to his side when he finished catching his breath. His back was facing Chanyeol and his eyes were directed into the empty space. As reality kicked in, his heart felt heavier than before.

He felt an arm wrapping around his waist and a warm breath on his ear. Chanyeol had covered them with the blanket. He placed a kiss on the back of his ear.

“I’m still your Chanyeol, Baek. I love you just as much.” he said gently and paused for a while. Baekhyun expected he was done but he spoke again, “But things are not the same, baby. We can’t simply move on from them.”

And with that, his voice was empty again.

When Baekhyun woke up the next morning, he was already embracing Chanyeol with his legs tangled around him. Large fingers were combing his hair while he slowly opened his eyes. Chanyeol was already waiting for him to wake up.

Every single thing went back to Baekhyun’s mind as he pulled himself away from Chanyeol, rubbing his eyes as he spoke.

“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be at?” he quietly mumbled without looking at him. He glanced through the side of his eyes and saw Chanyeol slowly shaking his head, staring at him because of his suggestive and almost sarcastic tone.

Baekhyun nodded and sighed, “I should get going. I have a class.”

Chanyeol cleared his throat but Baekhyun continued sitting up on the edge of the bed, preparing to leave.

“I’ve been going to the capitol…”

Baekhyun stopped when Chanyeol spoke out of the blue. He could hear the hesitation in his voice but he still continued.

“To the police station…and the old headquarters. I’m asking for progress, Baek. I’m looking for more evidences…or witnesses.”

Baekhyun remained staring at him.

“Why are you saying this to me now?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt you anymore.” Chanyeol gulped, “I didn’t want to bother you…or be your burden too. You’re going through so much already…I don’t want to be another problem you have to fix.”

Baekhyun nodded as he bit his lip, “You do know that I’ll worry either way, right?”

Chanyeol exhaled deeply.

“I didn’t realize I’m hurting you by doing this, Baekhyun.” he said, “But it’s the only way I know how to get the justice they deserve.”

“You know I’m always here to help you!”

“They’re dangerous, Baek.” he retaliated, “That…man…behind all of this is very dangerous. Whoever he is, he plays dirty. He sure has hell on his side as he easily gets away from all of this.” he said through gritted teeth, “I will never let you get involved in this, Baekhyun. I wasn’t able to protect them. I won’t repeat the same mistake.”

Baekhyun stared at him as he did the same. His heart was clenching in pain as fear filled it. He crawled back to Chanyeol and hugged him tight.

Chanyeol kissed the top of his head while he stared in space, his heart was rummaging against his chest. “You’re the only one I have…”

They stayed like that for a while. His embrace around Chanyeol became tighter whenever worst scenarios enter his head. He’s afraid. He wanted to help Chanyeol solve all of this one by one but how would he do that if he didn’t know where to start?

“Do you...already have a hunch, Chanyeol?” he mumbled and looked up to meet his eyes, “About who possibly did it?”

Chanyeol’s fist tightened beside him. He avoided Baekhyun’s gaze and looked right in front as he shook his head.

“No.” he said. Baekhyun wasn’t able to notice how he gulped right after. How he needed to calm his breathing first before continuing because of the name that entered his head. Baekhyun failed to notice how he lied.

To protect him, he said.

“I’m trying to find my father’s lawyer. He suddenly disappeared, but according to what I heard, Dad still talked to him days before he died.” he was almost whispering but Baekhyun could still hear the rage in them, “Uncle told me he moved to Canada, but that’s it. That’s the only thing my useless Uncle would tell me. He even refused helping me with the case and said I should just move on and let the authorities do the job.” he was seething and Baekhyun had to caress his chest. “I fucking hate that man. He had always been jealous with my father so he’s probably celebrating seeing me like this.”

“But isn’t he trying to adopt you and have you under his care?”

“Because he has no heir.” he hissed, “And he knows I can do it. He knows I’m capable. So now he rubs it to my face how I don’t have any choice but to comply. I’m sick of him.”

“Chanyeol…” Baekhyun didn’t know if he should say it but he did, anyway. “Don’t you think he’s...”

Chanyeol clenched his jaw.

“I don’t know.” he said, “But I’m sure there’s a big cover up happening, Baek. Everyone I ask seems like hiding something. The case isn’t moving forward. I’m pretty sure it’ll end up thrown into the bin without justice being served.” he gulped the lump in his throat but failed to conceal the despair in his voice, “M-My parents…don’t deserve this shit. I just want justice for them…and for everyone who died. Why would they do this to them?”

His eyes were starting to glisten. It’s been weeks since Baekhyun saw Chanyeol breaking down. Recently, he was just trying to keep it in him while he worked silently.

“Chanyeol, look at me…” he held his face still despite Chanyeol trying to keep his face hidden, “They will get justice. If not soon, then let’s just be patient. The truth will always prevail in the end.”

Chanyeol’s eyes changed with this. He gulped before shaking his head, his eyes were back to what they were these past few weeks.

“Until when do I have to wait?” his eyes were piercing through Baekhyun’s soul, “I’m not sitting here, doing nothing. I’m desperate.”

Baekhyun sighed, though he didn’t try arguing.

“I understand…” he reached for his hand, “Just…please, come back to me. Come back safe and sound whenever you leave. Come back the same…Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol stared at him, but Baekhyun wouldn’t back down. He looked straight at him as he waited for an answer. Chanyeol gave him a nod.

“I will.”

“Promise me.” Baekhyun’s voice was eager for demand. A demand for something that will assure him, “Promise me you won’t get into trouble. Fight fairly, Chanyeol. Promise me you won’t be like the people who did us wrong.”

Chanyeol forced a smile. He held Baekhyun’s hand in return to have an excuse of looking at his fingers instead.

“Promise…”

Baekhyun hugged him again, tighter. As long as Chanyeol assured him himself, he’ll hold on to that.

Chanyeol was coldly staring at the floor, in deep thought.

“How could you do this to me?”

It felt like a strong blow to his face. His heart was shattered into pieces, and he had to keep his voice from breaking because everything else in him already did.

Chanyeol only looked at him. Still standing where he was, he refused to answer.

“I thought we’ll stay together?”

Baekhyun bit his lip, ignoring the looks he was getting from the few caretakers left in the mansion.

“I thought you said you’re sick of that man?” Chanyeol remained silent, “Chanyeol!”

“I have no choice, Baek.”

The shorter boy chuckled sarcastically.

“And you’re not planning to tell me? What do you take me for?”

Chanyeol rubbed his forehead with his palm, getting equally frustrated as he was.

“I don’t want to tell you because I know you won’t let me.” he sighed heavily, “I don’t want to hurt you―”

“Fuck you and your stupid reasons!”

He harshly pushed him even if he knew how much tougher Chanyeol was. With that, he walked away with tears continuously streaming down his face. He left the mansion and didn’t go home. Instead, he went to the only place he had always gone to whenever things were getting difficult. He and Chanyeol always went there to unwind. Difference was, Chanyeol was the one making things difficult for him this time.

He couldn’t count how many times Chanyeol had used the _I don’t want to hurt you _card when he was doing the exact opposite. Baekhyun was continuously pushed to his limits.

He didn’t know how long he cried, right at the door of the old cottage, but it sure was obvious from the way his eyes sting. He looked at the clear sky above him, wondering why and how everything went wrong.

He never dreamed of this.

Chanyeol was leaving. And he knew about it from the caretakers, from the people around. Basically from everyone but Chanyeol himself. He couldn’t imagine how Chanyeol could possibly leave without a word. Was he ever important to him?

“Auntie’s looking for you.”

Baekhyun looked at where the voice was coming from. Chanyeol was standing on the far side, looking exhausted but hopeful. He gulped and looked back above him.

“Why are you here?”

“We’re not allowed here anymore, Baek.” Chanyeol walked closer to where he was. He shoot him a glare but he didn’t budge, “It’s not…mine anymore. It’s someone else’s property.”

“I don’t care.” Baekhyun almost spat, “I don’t leave or forget anything and anyone that’s important to me. Not that easy, at least.”

Chanyeol’s chest heaved as he sighed. He continued to sit beside Baekhyun, and the latter didn’t even move an inch. He gave Baekhyun the silence he needed as he gathered his courage, biting his lip while his eyes were shut.

“I received a death threat days ago.”

His voice was surprisingly calm, opposite to how Baekhyun’s eyes widened as his gaze fell on him.

“They were planning worse things…if I won’t stop digging the truth.” he chuckled but there was no humor in it. He finally looked at Baekhyun beside him, “Remember what I told you? That I won’t repeat the same mistake?”

His eyes were glassy as he gazed at the man beside him.

“I-I’m sorry…you might think I’m the most coward person, that I’m the biggest jerk you met. You m-must be disappointed…” he shut his eyes and Baekhyun could finally see the pain he’s been holding in for too long, “But never…never will I let you be harmed. More than anything…I have to protect you, Baek.”

Baekhyun was shedding more tears. He didn’t know how much tears he still had to cry. How could he just simply let go of Chanyeol? How could he simply go on with his life without him?

“You’ll leave me…” Baekhyun sobbed against his chest when he hugged him.

“Once I continue this and they knew, they’ll surely do something about it. I need to stop first. I need to accept Uncle’s offer and plan everything neatly.” he was clutching Baekhyun’s hand tight, “I need to strategize and use all the connections I’ll be given. Whoever is behind this, he’s a big person. And I can never find out if I stay like this.”

_If you stay with me._

Baekhyun nodded. Like before, he ought to understand. He should understand.

But for once, he just wanted to be selfish. He wanted to forget considering the safety, justice, and all the other things hindering them to just be together.

“I-I don’t t-think I can handle it...”

Chanyeol heaved heavily, kissing his hands as he tried to smile.

“What kind of person will I be if I stay?” he asked in between the sound of Baekhyun’s sobs, “You said y-you want your Chanyeol. This is him. The man you love never backs out, r-right?”

Chanyeol’s endearing laugh used to bring warmth in him, but now it only twisted his heart even more. He will have to wait for too long to hear it again.

“I love you, Baekhyun.” he pulled him close to place a kiss on his head, “So I need to go. I need to be worthy of you.”

Right then, Baekhyun accepted he could’ve changed Chanyeol’s mind, but never Chanyeol’s heart.

“You are.”

They didn’t let go, one last time. That night they stayed in the cottage, wide awake. They seized it, wondering when will they get be this close again. Chanyeol’s arms didn’t dare let go of him. And he did the same. Because tomorrow, they’re left with no choice but to say goodbye.

And so tomorrow came. Baekhyun silently watched the helpers carry the luggage inside the van. His hands were rubbing on his arms. He wasn’t crying anymore. It was painful, but as he understood, he eventually learned to accept.

Chanyeol stood in front of him, flashing him a timid smile. They shared no words, just gazes that said a lot. He forced a small smile before letting the taller pull him into a big hug. Baekhyun buried his nose on his shoulder, his hands were clutching his clothes behind. Chanyeol almost pulled away but Baekhyun held tighter on his clothes, begging for more time. Chanyeol sadly smiled before holding his nape to embrace him more.

When the time given to them was gone, he successfully pulled away from his embrace. Chanyeol’s eyes were slightly glistening, but he blinked and kept his smile wider. Baekhyun nodded his head to assure him he’ll be fine. Chanyeol looked at him one last time before turning away.

“Chanyeol…”

He looked behind in an instant. Baekhyun was still there, gulping as he gained courage to speak.

“Come back to me…” he smiled, “Safe and sound. Come back the same, okay? I will wait.”

Chanyeol nodded with a smile, “Not too long, promise.”

“Baekhyun-ah! Congratulations!”

“Finally Hayoung! It’s about time.”

“Where do you plan to work, Baekhyun-ah?”

Baekhyun didn’t know who and what to respond first so he simply smiled. On his hand was a congratulatory bouquet of flowers, the colors were going so well with his toga and medal.

“Ah, you know this kid. As long as he earns, he’ll be fine! He prefers to stay here, right Baek?” his mother smiled.

Baekhyun bit his lip before forcing a nod. Right before his mother continued, a familiar person was running towards them.

_“Baekhyun-ah!” _the small boy yelled while running. He motioned his hand on his ear like a telephone and Baekhyun already knew.

“Eomma…it’s Chanyeol. Hold this…I’ll be back okay?” his mother wasn’t able to answer when he placed his academic cap and flowers on her arms before running as fast as he could. His mother only shook her head while chuckling.

“That kid…”

The smile on his face didn’t fade even when he was running. The son of the helper of the Park’s mansion led him inside and his heart immediately jumped in joy when he saw the phone waiting for him. Like always. But this time, there’s a large bouquet beside it, it was arranged beautifully.

Baekhyun’s pace became slower as he suppressed a smile. He grabbed the phone over the table.

“Yeol!”

He heard the same deep chuckle over the line.

_“Happy graduation!”_

“Are the extravagant flowers necessary?” he asked while playing with it with his fingers.

_“Believe me, they are.” _Chanyeol cooed, _“Congratulations, baby…I’m so proud of you.”_

Almost three years since Chanyeol left and Fridays were never the same. It became their day of the week. Hanseung, the helper’s son, will fetch Baekhyun from their house whenever Chanyeol called and sometimes, Baekhyun would be the one to go there ahead of his call.

The far distance was hard, but eventually, it wasn’t a problem when they both found ways to talk and communicate.

Los Angeles was far, and their time difference and packed schedules, especially Chanyeol, made it harder for them eventually. But they strived to keep both of them together…or at least, Baekhyun did.

After graduating, Baekhyun spent his years working in retail management at the small businesses. Still, it wasn’t enough. Every single day that passed became very tiring for him, working overtime. He was earning, but it wasn’t enough for his father who’s already bed-ridden. He was also sending Yeri to school and funding everything else that needed to be paid at home.

“Please…you can’t take this away from us…Sir…”

Baekhyun wiped the tear that fell from his eyes while he watched a woman begging in front of the officer with her loud sobs. The construction trucks and equipment are already set and the old beautiful land was starting to be destroyed by them.

“Step back!”

“P-Please Sir…”

The people around him, who were mostly farmers and their families that were completely deprived of their rights to even step on the land they spent their lives because it’s already owned by someone else. A big company.

Baekhyun only stood silent behind the commotion. Yeri was beside him, hugging him. He silently cried while looking at the cottage in the middle of the field. A bunch of men in uniform were already surrounding it. His heart was twisting in pain.

“Baekhyung…” Yeri hugged him tight when Baekhyun cried harder, refusing to look at the small cottage that was already being demolished by a big truck. He sobbed against his sister’s shoulder, eyes shutting tight every time he heard the loud thump and crashing sound, along with the shouts and cries of people.

He held his sister’s hand, looking at it one last time. He took a deep breath and prepared to leave. As he did so, his eyes fell on the bunch of people who were responsible for this destruction. In the middle of them is an old man, he wasn’t stern-looking, but what Baekhyun saw in him was much worse. Beneath his sly smiles, he could see the cunning and selfish plans he had. The people around him were mindlessly nodding and obeying his words, as if he was a god. They didn’t mind the lives of the people around them as they followed him. Something in his heart was firing up. All he could feel was hatred.

Right then, this man’s gaze simply fell on him as well.

Baekhyun was playing with his hands while he sat. He looked at the wall clock then down to his empty glass of juice in front of him. The clock stroke to another hour and the silence was still agonizing.

It took him another heavy sigh before the ringing phone broke the silence around him. Almost weakly, he stood from his seat and forced a smile to the helper who was about to answer and motioned her that he’ll do it instead. After all, the call was for him.

“Hi.” he greeted weakly and he heard the heavy breathing over the line.

_“Sorry. I just got out of the office now.” _Chanyeol reasoned out absentmindedly, _“Hi, Baek.”_

“I’ve been waiting for more than an hour.” Baekhyun couldn’t help snapping, exhaustion and problems were already mixing in him, “You didn’t even call last week.”

And not just last week, but more Friday’s aside from that. Baekhyun can’t help his irritation while thinking about how Chanyeol couldn’t even find the time in a week to talk to him when they were both equally busy.

He heard another sigh over the line.

_“I said sorry, didn’t I?” _he could hear the underlying tone from his voice, as if suppressing irritation too, _“And I’m calling now, Baekhyun.”_

Baekhyun bit his lip as he forced a smile, “Right.”

Chanyeol fell silent, as if realizing what he just did.

_“I’m…sorry.” _he said more quietly, _“I’m just so tired…and I know you are too. Promise I’d be calling more frequently. There’s just a lot going on here, Baek…I finally have leads and little details that are helpful for the case. I’m beginning to connect the dots and―” _he stopped when Baekhyun remained unresponsive, _“Baek, are you okay? What’s wrong?”_

Baekhyun shut his eyes when he didn’t need to say anything for Chanyeol to notice.

“I was adopted, Yeol.”

Chanyeol fell silent for a moment. Baekhyun needed this to gain courage to speak further.

“Appa isn’t getting better and he said I deserve to finally know.” more than anything, his parent’s condition was the one hurting him, “Mom said…” he paused to gulp, “Her older sister gave me to her when I was four months. Auntie used to work as a lady’s maid before right? That was the only thing my parents know. They said Auntie didn’t say anything and she seemed like she went hiding after she retired.”

Chanyeol didn’t answer immediately. When he spoke, it seemed like he carefully chose his words.

_“So they don’t have any information about your biological parents?”_

Baekhyun shook his head weakly, as if Chanyeol could see him. “Auntie died when I was six. I don’t remember her that much. But Mom told me she isn’t my real mother for sure…they just don’t know who possibly gave me to her.” he stuttered, “A-And they said…it didn’t matter to them. Because they just wanted me. They loved me for who I am…like I was their own.” he broke into silent tears right after.

Chanyeol listened to his silence and just the faint sound of sniffing.

_“I’m sorry…Baek. I should be there...” _he said after, _“I should be there for you.”_

He didn’t answer. He could say that it’s fine. But it really wasn’t. He needed Chanyeol there but they both couldn’t do anything.

_“Remember, Baekhyun. I’ve seen how they loved you…and how they love you still. They’re your parents, regardless of the blood. You’re still lucky for them, okay?”_

“I k-know…” Baekhyun shut his eyes, “I know.”

Chanyeol paused again.

_“Do you want to find your real parents?”_

Baekhyun remained silent this time. It was a tough question. He had a lot of thoughts about it.

_“Baekhyun, it’s fine…we can find them and―”_

“No, Chanyeol…I don’t.” he shook his head again, “I’m happy now. I d-don’t need to know them.”

Chanyeol knew better. Just by the way Baekhyun’s voice broke, he knew he needed to do something. Though he agreed for now.

“Maybe…I’m wondering why they decided to give me away.” he sniffed, “But that’s it…I don’t want to know them and I’ll stay with my family.”

And it was just the beginning of the storm. As much as Baekhyun wanted to completely dismiss the fact that he discovered a big lie in his life, he just couldn’t. He tried not to put barriers between him and his parents, but every night he was getting more and more bothered. Chanyeol wasn’t calling that much anymore too. He became too busy and there were times when they both just ended up snapping at each other. Maybe that was why Chanyeol refused to call when he’s too caught up with everything as well.

Baekhyun needed to comfort himself. No one did it for him. He needed to keep everything intact, on his own.

But it was such a big day. Baekhyun kept all his worries and problems that day as he received the big news. The last time he talked to Chanyeol was almost two weeks ago so he was very enthusiastic to talk to him again, especially that they were finally close to seeing each other again.

“Appa…” he was almost jumping beside his father’s bed, a big smile was on his face. His father’s eyes were the only ones that moved to look at him, but Baekhyun knew…he was happy too.

“Look! Chanyeol did it!” he showed him the newspaper, “_Flair’s heir finally introduced: The twenty-five year old heir of the multi-million dollar automotive company is finally set to take over soon! _Appa did you hear that? Chanyeol will finally come home! He’s done it!”

His father only groaned as response. Baekhyun smiled wider as he placed a kiss on his forehead. His mother was leaning on the door, watching them with a smile. Her gaze fell on Baekhyun.

“Did you talk to him already?”

Baekhyun’s eyes formed crescent with his smile, “Will do now!”

And so he went to the mansion with his boyfriend’s old scooter. He was almost running when he hopped off. He went inside and expected a call waiting for him but it was still neatly placed there.

His smile faded a little. He was slightly disappointed but it didn’t keep him from being excited. He would love to hear his voice to finally complete his whole week. Chanyeol probably just got busy to call him earlier.

Maybe…he just got busy.

Baekhyun woke up wide-eyed, glancing at the clock on the wall he already memorized. It was already 5:08 PM, four hours since he came there. He gulped the dryness in his throat before looking around, then to the telephone that didn’t even move. It was midnight in LA already, what could possibly happened?

Maybe he forgot, Baekhyun thought. After all, he’s too preoccupied with work. He can just come back and talk to him the next day. It’s totally fine.

But Baekhyun being Baekhyun, he found himself waiting for another hour. The helpers were already looking at him with pity. He assured them with a smile. _It’s fine. _He said. _He just forgot._

So when the phone rang, his dying hope was thrown into the bin. He almost jumped and ran to the phone with his resurfacing smile. _I knew he’ll remember!_

“Chanyeol!”

Nothing but silence greeted him, opposed to what he expected as bunch of apologies and ecstatic news. He caught his breath before speaking.

“Were you busy? You called late. But guess who just waited long enough to catch you, huh?” he chuckled, yet still bewildered by the silence. “Chanyeol?”

He was sure the line was working. Because despite the silence, he could hear Chanyeol’s breathing.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, “Chanyeol―”

_“Everything is.”_ he breathed. Baekhyun shivered with his voice, before he could answer, he was cut off with his last words. _“Stop waiting for me.”_

Right then, the line was dead.

Waiting was hard, but not knowing whether you’re still waiting for something was much more beyond that.

Baekhyun didn’t know how long he would wait, not only every Friday, but every day. After the call they had that night, it was the last time he ever heard anything from Chanyeol. He would come back every day just to check if he ever called, only to receive the same answer from the few helpers left in the house that witnessed everything they’ve gone through ‘til their end. They might just want to build a martyr statue for Baekhyun based on their sympathetic looks on him.

Baekhyun didn’t care. He never did. All he wanted was answers…and Chanyeol. His Chanyeol.

It was the day before Yeri’s fifteenth birthday when his father died. Baekhyun was broken beyond repair. Everything else in his life was crushed in front of him and he was constantly asking why they’re all happening to him when he didn’t do anything wrong. He was beginning to question everything…asking if it’s all worth it. If it’s all worth the pain.

“Baekhyung…” Yeri asked in the middle of their mourning, “I-I think I’m the one who brought bad luck to everyone…” she grinned but her tears were still pooling in her eyes. Baekhyun smiled sadly as he hugged her.

Right then, Baekhyun understood how it felt like. What Chanyeol possibly felt six years ago when his parents were taken away from him. Chanyeol would probably understand him, stand by him if he’s here. But he wasn’t.

His eyes were bloodshot red as he looked at the boy standing in front of the tall gate. Even though he already expected it, his heart still twisted when he shook his head in dismay.

“Did…he just…” he gulped the lump in his throat, “call? I mean…e-even if he didn’t look for me? Is he still calling?”

Hanseung, who he was already treating as a younger brother since he could remember, was suddenly acting distant from him. And it wasn’t really helping him at all.

Once again, he shook his head.

“You can’t enter the mansion anymore, hyung.” he mumbled quietly, “That’s what we’re told.”

Baekhyun tried to smile despite his trembling voice.

“O-Okay…uh, did he say why?”

Hanseung avoided his gaze, “Sorry hyung…”

“Can I…just g-get the number he uses? I’ll call him m-myself…” his voice broke, “Just…I r-really need to talk to h-him.”

The young boy gulped before stepping back. Baekhyun knew. He wouldn’t help him. He can’t. No matter how desperate he was.

“Hanseung…please.” he pleaded even when the other boy already ran inside the mansion, leaving him crying outside.

He was angry, confused, tired. You name all the goddamn feelings anyone wouldn’t want to feel, he felt them all. He didn’t understand why Chanyeol won’t just tell him straight to his face what his problem was. He didn’t understand why he had to torment him like that.

But above all of them, he still needed him. He loved him too much to even care.

“Your father just died!”

Baekhyun knew this would be the reaction he’ll get. But he already prepared himself for it. Nothing’s gonna stop him.

There’s no turning back.

“Eomma…” he weakly spoke, “I need to talk to him.”

His mother combed her hair with her fingers in so much frustration.

“What is happening to you, Baekhyun?” his mother asked, “You’re not…being yourself. If I only knew that Chanyeol would―”

“Eomma.” he called with finality, “Stop. I’m going.”

He grabbed his only bag and went straight to the door, completely dismissing his mother’s heavy breathing.

“Baekhyun.”

“I need Chanyeol…Mom. Please just let me.”

Baekhyun arrived in the big city of Seoul weeks after his father’s death. He should be mourning. He should be working for his sister and mother, and not trying to run after a man. But he’s here anyway. He’d do it, anyway.

His college friend helped him get information in the internet. News about the heir of Flair, when he arrived and his company’s whereabouts. When Baekhyun got everything he needed, he didn’t waste time buying himself a bus ticket. With a heavy heart, he looked at the place he grew up for the last time.

He was clueless. Even the place he was dropped off wasn’t familiar to him. The people’s way of speaking was…posher than where he came from. He cleared his throat and became more conscious with his accent and tone.

“Uhm…I need to get to this place…” he handed out a piece of paper with a complete address written on it.

“Flair?”

“Yes.” Baekhyun nodded immediately, “You know it?”

The driver nonchalantly shrugged as he began driving.

“Everyone does.”

Baekhyun was observing the whole ride. Even without reaching Chanyeol yet, he saw most of the cars everywhere are from Flair. It was just slowly getting in his mind…how big he already was.

He’s so proud of him. And he couldn’t wait to say it personally.

He stood stiffly in front of a huge building. He almost couldn’t see where it ended. Baekhyun took a deep breath before walking inside.

“Did you set an appointment, Sir?”

His hands were sweaty against his clothes. He blinked rapidly, opening his mouth even when he didn’t know what to answer.

“I d-didn’t know how to…”

The lady smiled at him professionally, “You need to have an appointment, Sir.”

“Can I…can you just tell him my name? I really need to―”

“Sorry, Sir.”

“Please―”

“What’s happening?”

The lady’s eyes fell on the owner of the voice behind him. He followed right after.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Kim.”

A short man was walking towards where he was. Baekhyun suddenly felt nervous. The man’s brows were raised at them, him especially. But there was a trace of smile on his face.

“What can I do for you, Mister…”

Baekhyun gulped, “Ahn.”

He saw how the man’s eyes widened. His mouth flew open but no words came out from it.

“W-Well, I…”

“Mr. Ahn requests to see Mr. Park, Sir. But he has no appointment.” the lady said, not noticing the man’s sudden silence.

“Well that’s a problem isn’t it?” he laughed nervously, “Uhm, why don’t I talk to Mr. Ahn first, yeah? Thanks Jinri, you’re the best!” he winked and pulled Baekhyun away.

Baekhyun creased his brows as the man pulled him to somewhere isolated.

“What are you doing here?”

“Sorry, but who―”

“You shouldn’t be here, Baekhyun!”

“I want to talk to Chanyeol―”

“You need to leave!”

As if his eyes weren’t wide enough yet, they grew even wider when his gaze fell on the elevator nearby.

“Oh shit…shit―”

“Minseok?”

Baekhyun knew the voice. The man wasn’t able to stop him when he turned around in an instant, meeting face to face with the man he was trying to find.

“Chanyeol…”

He smiled, his eyes felt warm.

Chanyeol’s eyes slightly widened but when they were cold again, it was his hands that turned into fists.

Baekhyun didn’t care. He took big steps towards him and hugged him tight. Tears already fell from his eyes and he didn’t bother wiping them as he embraced him tighter.

“I m-missed you, Chanyeol…I-I missed you…”

“Get off.”

Baekhyun looked above to his face when he heard this.

“Y-Yeol?”

“Get off me.” his jaw hardened, “Minseok, take him out.”

Baekhyun shook his head, confused but it wasn’t enough to make him let go.

“Minseok.”

“B-Baekhyun―uh, I’ll walk you out―”

“No.” Baekhyun shoved his hand away and faced Chanyeol, “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong, Chanyeol? Please…tell me.” Chanyeol began walking away but Baekhyun grabbed his arm to stop him, “Yeol please―”

He yelped when Chanyeol held his wrist hard. Chanyeol’s eyes were glistening, but they remained cold and hard.

“You…” he gritted his teeth, tightening his grasp on Baekhyun’s skin. They were already drawing attention from the people around but neither of them cared, “I never want to see you again, you hear me? Get out.”

He harshly let him go, pushing Baekhyun hard to the floor. He could see Chanyeol trembling from where he was…and he didn’t know why. He wished he knew.

“Chanyeol...p-please talk to me…please.”

“Go home, Baekhyun.” even the way his name escaped his lips sounded so foreign, “Don’t wait for me to throw you out of here myself.”

And his gaze fell on Minseok again, making the shorter man rush to where he was to guide him out. Chanyeol was already walking away from him.

Baekhyun was sobbing hard, still partly kneeling on the floor where he was pushed. Minseok looked at him silently, his eyes implied a lot. And Baekhyun had enough pity for himself.

He tried to catch his breath as he stood up. Minseok held his reddening arm from the tight grasp he got.

“I’ll walk with you to the exit…” Minseok gently said, as if weighing his thoughts. Baekhyun walked with him but he exhaled deep breath as he spoke.

“Minseok…right?”

“I’m really sorry, Baekhyun…” he said, “I need to go back inside. Chanyeol will soon look for me. I can hail you a cab.”

“Minseok…” a sob was soon to escape his lips again, “C-Can you please tell me…what’s happening?”

The other man looked conflicted as ever. He looked around uneasily as Baekhyun held his hand in plead.

“Baekhyun―”

“I’m begging you…” his voice was already weak, “P-Please…”

Minseok held both his shoulders still as he sighed. He looked straight at Baekhyun’s eyes.

“Your biological father, Baekhyun…”

Baekhyun looked straight at him, waiting for more even if he could already foresee what was about to go next. His heart almost jumped out of his chest.

_No… please._

Minseok tilted his head up while he closed his eyes. He gulped and looked around.

“Ah…this is so much harder than I thought.” he exhaled, “Your father…Baekhyun, he was…behind everything…the massacre, Chanyeol’s parents.”

Baekhyun went deaf the exact moment. The same words were echoing in his ears as he shook his head.

_No._

“N-No…no. That can’t be true.”

Minseok held his hands tight.

“I’m really sorry, Baekhyun…you need to go.” he heaved heavily, “I can’t talk to you anymore. But trust me, it would be best if you wouldn’t get involved in Chanyeol’s wrath. He’s doing you a favor now.”

But he had always been involved.

He sat on the bench in front of the building, looking into empty space. He was beyond shocked and he couldn’t bring himself to walk away. His bag of clothes was still clutched by his hand. People were watching him when they passed by, some were actually asking him if he’s fine. Baekhyun could only nod, though the way he spaced out proved otherwise.

Within those hours, Baekhyun was able to think. Though he still refused to accept, he still figured things out in his mind. He wasn’t walking away from that place that night. He wasn’t going home that fast.

Chanyeol wasn’t doing him a favor this way. Either way, Baekhyun would still end up suffering, so he’ll take advantage of everything the way he knew how to. He signed up for hell, he knew that. He was making a deal with the devil. He wasn’t thinking straight.

But the worst thing to happen will be losing Chanyeol. And that’s what he wouldn’t watch happening.

It was late at night and the words were already sorted in his head. He waited until the same man came out with men surrounding him this time. Minseok was also beside him and he was the first to spot Baekhyun, eyes widening again as he tried motioning him to leave. But Baekhyun completely ignored him.

“Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol didn’t look surprised this time. He only shut his eyes tight in frustration before coldly looking at the shorter.

“Stop. Listen to me.” Baekhyun’s voice was full of conviction despite trying to keep up with Chanyeol’s pace. The men around him began shoving his hand away, almost pushing him.

“Stop.” Chanyeol ordered the men when they began holding Baekhyun. They immediately complied. He stood there with his empty stare, waiting for the words Baekhyun had to offer.

Minseok walked in front of Baekhyun, pleading him to stop but Baekhyun’s gaze was hard. Chanyeol looked at the both of them while his hands clutched in his pockets.

“You want revenge, right?” Baekhyun gulped to keep his words intact, “I can give you that. Let me.”

Chanyeol chuckled but it wasn’t enough to stop Baekhyun. He was obviously waiting for his next words as well.

“Admit it. You couldn’t get to him that fast without me. You need me.”

Minseok held his elbow as he whispered, “Baekhyun, what are you doing?!”

Chanyeol clenched his jaw, his icy stare was hard to compete with but Baekhyun didn’t care about anything anymore. He shook Minseok’s hand away.

“Use me.” he said with finality, “If you think I owe you for being his son, then I’ll pay for it.”

It was only the beginning. Ironic isn’t it? Chanyeol kept his word. His promise. He came back, safe and sound, but never the same. And among all his firsts, Chanyeol turned out to be his first heartbreak too.

There’s no turning back.


	7. 6-Basic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> present.

“I…never really had the chance to see her again.”

Baekhyun didn’t miss the trace of sorrow in his voice. Though he wasn’t sure he was sincere, he won’t underestimate how convincing he sounds.

“She couldn’t accept having a child. She didn’t take it nicely. Her family hid her when she got pregnant, and they refused to let me know. I just heard about her again when she died. Apparently…she died after she gave you away…”

Baekhyun shouldn’t feel anything significant about his biological parents, given that they never really appealed to him as his loved ones. But hearing this about his real mother gave him a lot of questions. He’s suddenly curious about everything about her, and if anything coming from Mr. Byun’s side is real.

Above everything, internal battles because of them are the ones he’ll never want to have.

He will never feel satisfied from the information he gets from everyone. Because if there’s one lesson he learned and is constantly learning from all of this, it’s to never trust anyone around him.

Even himself.

“What…happened to her?”

Mr. Byun purses his lips while still looking at him with the same sorrow in his eyes. He took a deep breath before speaking.

“I don’t really know the full details but…she was killed. Shot straight to her head, I heard.”

There was a pang in his heart.

She gave him away, yes. Maybe she never really liked having him. But Baekhyun still couldn’t fathom the fact that she was killed that way.

He never met her, but he still came from her. He was…hers.

“Oh son, I wish I could explain it more…but I know nothing much too.” his father smiles in dismay, “Her family despised me. If I knew she was bringing my child, then I could’ve tried protecting her more even when she gave up.” he gulps, “They had so many rivals as well…maybe that’s the reason why she ended up like that…I wish I…”

Baekhyun sees the lights reflecting on his eyes.

“I just wish I was able to protect you both…”

He remained silent despite hearing the Chairman’s voice breaking for the first time. He’s trying to notice any underlying meaning in his words and tone but so far, he hasn’t found anything yet.

Baekhyun tried to stop himself but he couldn’t.

“W-What was she like?”

The gaze of the stern businessman softens as he looks at his son in front of him. His lips curve into a sad smile before speaking.

“She was strong-willed. Very reserved and prim but she knew what she wanted. She knew how to do things her way…I really loved that about her. She never gave up if she wanted or loved something.” he gulped before smiling again, “She was beautiful.”

Baekhyun blinks when he feels the warmth on his eyes. He wanted to ask more, everything about her, but he felt the need to stay silent.

_She never gave up if she wanted or loved something. _

Baekhyun suddenly understood where he got this courage to endure everything. And it used to be such a bad thing. But now it becomes something to remind him of her.

Will it all be worth it? Or will he end the same?

“I didn’t know about you. She gave you away so you were raised far from me…I just had it investigated when it was anonymously tipped. Until now, I still haven’t found the one who did it, and why they knew you.” Baekhyun prevents himself from gulping, “Did you encounter someone who seemed suspicious while growing up?”

His tongue is tied, he remembers what he practiced before as he shakes his head. Not too casual nor overly convincing.

Mr. Byun remains looking serious as he nods, though he also looks convinced.

“By the way, you’re going with Sehun today. I’m sending you both to a small conference at Gwanhun-dong. Some of my trusted electrical engineers are there too, you should meet them.” his cheerful yet formal tone is back, “I won’t be able to go with you since I need to fix a lot of things here and at the main site. Sehun will take good care of you.”

Baekhyun only nodded. It’s his fourth day in the company today and this is the first time he’ll be able to work outside the building. Even if he’s aware what he should be here for, he can’t help getting thrilled.

Someone knocks on the door before it slowly opens, flashing the familiar handsome face of the chairman’s apprentice. He’s timidly smiling as soon as he popped his head between the doors.

“Speaking of.” Mr. Byun sighs and stands up to straighten his suit, “You two go, you shouldn’t be late. Sehun, keep an eye on my son okay?”

He narrows his eyes when Sehun smiles meaningfully.

“And I meant guide him like how you should with your boss.” he chuckles when Sehun defensively raised his brows. He turns to Baekhyun, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Baekhyun-ah.” he taps his shoulder as Sehun walks closer.

Baekhyun turns to look at the other man who’s already looking at him.

“Let’s go?”

He nods and was about to bid the Chairman goodbye but the latter’s phone rings and he just motioned them to go ahead while placing the phone on his ear.

“Attorney Jang!” his airy laugh echoes within the room.

Baekhyun’s pace becomes slower while he follows Sehun behind. His brows crossed as the name that he heard seems so familiar, but he doesn’t know where exactly he heard it from. He stops and turns around to look at the Chairman, but the man is already facing his big glass window while talking over the phone with so much enthusiasm.

“Baekhyun?”

He turns to Sehun and realizes he stopped and stood there stiffly. He forces an apologetic smile as he continues to follow him.

“Sorry, let’s go.”

They left the building together and it was soon out of Baekhyun’s mind. He’s eventually getting more comfortable in Sehun’s company since the latter wouldn’t make him feel so uneasy by opening up topics that feel light for the both of them to talk about.

“So how are we going to go there?” Baekhyun asks after laughing about something he said. He looks around but there’s no car parked in front of the lobby.

Sehun smiles, “We take the bus!”

Baekhyun laughs.

“You’re kidding, right?”

But the taller didn’t laugh. Instead, he raised his brows with Baekhyun’s response.

“No…” Sehun almost mumbles, “Haven’t you ever tried riding a bus?”

Baekhyun is equally stunned. So he was serious?

“I…have. I always do, actually…” he answers as they start walking to the bus stop, “It’s you that I didn’t expect to ride it…especially since we’re going to a business conference.”

“Ah…I almost thought you’re raised by a rich family that you haven’t experienced riding a bus.” he sighs in relief and Baekhyun only smiles, “Chairman says it’s my choice, so I prefer to make you take the bus too! But…you know, it’s okay if you don’t want it.” he shrugs, making Baekhyun chuckle.

“Of course it’s fine. I like commuting too. Driving isn’t really for me.”

Sehun’s eyes almost shined, “Right?! Parking is such a pain in the ass! I really prefer just hopping in and out.” he winks, “Just…uhm, don’t tell the Chairman about this okay?”

Baekhyun nods while laughing, “Okay.”

They waited for a bus to come while they continue talking to each other, discovering they also both like to sit on the far end of the bus. And so when a bus came, they hopped in and sat there.

“You know which stop we should go, right?” Baekhyun asks in the middle of their chat.

Sehun shrugs, “Yeah, of course!”

He doesn’t.

Baekhyun almost got a stiff neck trying to look at the far distance out the window, looking for a sign they’re at the right place.

“I thought you knew!”

“I do! I’ve been there!” Sehun sheepishly says, “Err…but it’s long ago. And the roads changed…”

“Sehun!”

“I think we missed it a while ago? Hehe.” he chuckles.

Baekhyun slaps his own forehead as he panics.

“Sir…uhm can you drop us off here?” he asks the bus driver.

“No, you wait for the stop.”

Baekhyun falls back to his seat in defeat as he throws Sehun a dismayed look, to which the latter only responded with his clasped hands and apologetic smile.

They waited for a few more minutes before the bus stopped and they’re already in Insadong. They stood at the bus stop they were dropped off and looked around looking lost.

“What are we gonna do?!”

Baekhyun doesn’t want to completely blame Sehun since he was also distracted by their chats and conversation. It’s actually both their fault why they missed their stop because they won’t stop blabbering nonsense.

He still wants to smack his head though.

“I don’t know…” Baekhyun sighs, “Let’s just walk to the other side and wait for another bus.”

“Are you serious?” Sehun snorts, “Gwanhun-dong isn’t that near! Plus we won’t be able to catch the conference.” he says, tone getting suggestive.

“Then let’s just go back to the building!”

“We can’t! Chairman will kill me!” Sehun exclaims and Baekhyun couldn’t help getting a pun out of it. “Let’s just roam around Insadong.”

“No way! He’ll get more furious if we do!” Baekhyun starts panicking again.

“Not if you don’t tell him.” Sehun clasps his palms again, “Please…don’t. I’ll be dead meat!”

“But this is all your fault!”

“I’ll do anything you want!” Sehun smiles wide, “Please! Let’s just stay here and then I’ll cover up for you once he asks.”

Baekhyun throws him a glare before sighing.

“You owe me.”

“Oh a lot lot!” Sehun joyfully squeals before pulling him into the corner of a small street. “Which food here do you like the most?”

Baekhyun looks clueless, he glances around and sees a lot of people along the narrow street.

“I haven’t been here…”

Sehun’s eyes rounded with this.

“You haven’t been here?” his eyes even widened when Baekhyun shakes his head, “Insadong?! Street foods?!”

“You make it sound like a bad thing…”

“No! It’s just―but have you tried the street foods in Myeongdong? I’m sure you have.” he says confidently.

Again, Baekhyun shakes his head.

Sehun opens his mouth in awe.

“Oh you poor thing.” he shakes his head, “I’m confused…did you grow up in Korea?”

“I did.” Baekhyun responds, “But the province I was raised at doesn’t…really have this stuff.” he carefully speaks, making sure he doesn’t give away too much information.

Sehun nods before pulling him to the crowded stall of Korean BBQ.

“I’ll bring you to Cha Iyagi after this too! Consider all you eat paid! For covering me up.” he shakes his head and Sehun laughs.

“I can’t believe you haven’t tried any of this yet.” Sehun starts off while trying to bite the meat, “Didn’t you mention that you’ve been in Seoul for quite some time now?”

Baekhyun continues to eat mindlessly, he nods at this.

“Yeah, but…I never got the chance to try exploring it. I’ve been caught up with a lot of things and jobs.”

Sehun only listens to him.

“I need to make money for my sister and mother at the province. Having fun didn’t really come to my mind.” he blurts out casually, “Plus…I don’t have anyone to go with.”

It was a little too late when he realized what he said.

“You mean your boyfriend never took you out?”

Baekhyun blinks and continues to eat to extend his moment to think. Right then, he smiles.

“He does…going out isn’t really just our thing. He prefers staying home or going to restaurants.”

He didn’t miss the way Sehun frowned at this. _Yeah, boring. _But it isn’t even true so he isn’t really bothered.

“Now you got a food buddy if you ever feel like hanging out. I’m an outdoor kinda guy.” Sehun says that made him wheeze, “That’s if he doesn’t mind though.”

Baekhyun chuckles without looking at him.

“Sure he doesn’t.”

They ate more BBQs and walked around until they reached the twisting alleys of Insadong, showing him even more places to explore. And right then, his phone camera becomes alive again as he fills it with more pictures and even his own.

“Are your parents from Myeongdong too?” Baekhyun asks out of the blue when they talk about the city.

They’re inside Shin Old Tea House, ordering traditional teas. Sehun shrugs as a response.

“I’m an orphan.”

Baekhyun blinks in surprise.

“Oh…sorry…”

“Nah, it’s fine. I like my adoptive parents.” he casually grins, “They’re a bit strict…but you know? I live the life I dreamed of, so it’s good for me.”

Baekhyun smiles. He understands this, more than anything.

Sehun looks at him because of this so he looks away, avoiding to dig further into it about himself.

“They loved me…and gave me their name. So it doesn’t make any difference if I was from them or not.” Sehun speaks continuously between his sips, wherein Baekhyun only remains listening attentively.

“But…”

Baekhyun looks at him as he pauses. Something in his eyes suddenly changed.

“You know…sometimes, I think about things too.” he smiles timidly, “What if things turned out differently for me…and my parents…the real one, really loved and kept me. What could’ve happened?” he gently says and Baekhyun is already watching him, completely drawn to his words, “You understand, do you?”

Baekhyun smiles genuinely as he nods.

So much.

It has been a long day. It seemed to him that they explored every corner of the small neighborhood where they mistakenly went to. They tried everything, from the teas, corn cookies, strings of honey, gooey pancakes and dumplings. He almost couldn’t walk when they got out of the bus as they reached Myeongdong again, heading back in front of the building.

And despite being so worried about the Chairman finding out, the business conference was long forgotten. He had fun getting to know Sehun more, especially after finding out they share the same insight about some things. It’s a nice feeling having a friend again.

“So…” Sehun coolly stands in front of him, “Did I give you the best city experience now?”

Baekhyun raises his brows, “You still owe me.”

The taller wheezes and nods. Before he could say anything, something behind Baekhyun already caught his attention and wipes off the big smile on his face.

“I think your boyfriend’s already here.”

Baekhyun wants to laugh. First of all, he doesn’t have one. The fake one will never bother.

Without turning around to look, he grins at Sehun. “It’s my friend Minseok.”

Sehun nods, though his gaze lingers on the car parked on the side of the road, looking slightly unconvinced.

“Sleek car, I must say.”

Baekhyun looks behind him and instead of seeing Minseok’s small car, it’s the Maserati parked on the side of the road.

His mouth flew open. It’s the first time Minseok…ever bothered to borrow a car to fetch him. Baekhyun chuckles. It’s unbelievable that Chanyeol let him too.

He faces Sehun again, “Sometimes he likes showing off.”

Sehun only grins. Baekhyun sighs before smiling timidly at him.

“By the way…” he continues, “Thanks…for today. I really had fun.”

The taller nods with a suppressed smile on his face, “You need to get used to it, boss.” he jokes and doesn’t miss the frown that scrawls on Baekhyun’s face.

“Just don’t make me ri―”

“Mister.”

Sehun looks at the person behind him before he could even turn around. When he looks at the owner of the voice, it’s a familiar one.

But not really who he expected.

“H-Hey…” he awkwardly stuttered. The driver looks at him knowingly yet remains professional.

“Mr. Park’s waiting for you, Sir.” he said before grimly glancing at Sehun behind him.

Baekhyun’s eyes slightly widened. Sehun looks at his reaction so he tries to flash a smile as he subtly gulps.

“Oh…is he?” he laughs nervously, “I didn’t know h-he’s coming today.”

The driver doesn’t answer. Though his gaze at both Sehun and him says a lot.

Baekhyun forces a smile again.

“And he couldn’t go out to fetch you himself?” Sehun casually asks though there was a trace of intrigue in his voice.

Before the driver could even speak for his boss, Baekhyun immediately answers.

“Uh, maybe he’s tired…you know, taking a nap in the car.” he flashes his most convincing smile, “I need to go, Sehun. Thanks again!”

Baekhyun was only able to catch Sehun’s smile before he began walking quickly towards the car while the driver follows him behind. He smiles one last time at Sehun before he completely hops inside the car, his breath hitching.

He doesn’t look at Chanyeol beside him. Minseok isn’t there, leaving only the three of them inside. Baekhyun continuously curses the poor man in his head.

_What the hell, Kim Minseok._

Chanyeol’s elbow is leaning on the window on the other side. His hand is massaging his temples while his eyes are closed. His brows are slightly crossed.

Baekhyun silently breathes through his mouth. He keeps his eyes on the other side, looking outside the window even if the car isn’t moving yet.

“Sir, do we need to go somewhere else?”

He waited for Chanyeol to answer. It took him a while, as if speaking takes a lot of effort as well and he’s obviously dead tired.

“No.”

Baekhyun tries to keep his eyes on the road outside. Despite being in this setup for quite some time now, he still isn’t used to being alone with Chanyeol. It makes him want to have the earth swallow him whole.

Things really change a lot.

Baekhyun entertains a lot of thoughts in his mind to distract him and help him relax. From the side of his eye, he could see that Chanyeol is already looking out the other window too. But his expression remains the same, making Baekhyun sit stiffly on his seat. Chanyeol’s house is only near the place and thank goodness for that.

What could be the important matter for Minseok to leave him alone like this? And to think he’s considering him his friend. He could’ve texted him that he wouldn’t make it. Baekhyun wanted to snort, he felt so betrayed.

“Did you get anything useful from him?”

He almost jumped on his seat when he heard Chanyeol asking beside him. He turns to look at him but he’s still looking at the window with his brows furrowed.

“Mister Byun?” Baekhyun asked dumbly, as if he doesn’t have any idea who Chanyeol was talking about.

“No.” his deep voice is one of the many things that intimidate anyone around him, “His apprentice.”

Baekhyun crosses his brows. Sehun?

“No…” he doesn’t notice how Chanyeol’s lips pursed into a thin line, “I don’t think he knows anything aside from business agendas. And besides, I don’t want to involve him here…” he gently said and Chanyeol turns his head towards him because of this, his brows are slightly lifted yet there was something in his eyes.

“And why is that?”

Baekhyun subtly gulps. Is Chanyeol really pushing a conversation for this? He didn’t even expect that the latter could endure talking to him this much.

He took a deep breath and tries to answer casually.

“Simply because he has nothing to do with this.”

The side of Chanyeol’s lips curved, his eyes were cold enough to make Baekhyun avoid them.

“Making friends now, are you?” he was almost grinning but there was no humor in his voice, “You’re not here to make friends.”

Baekhyun’s hand is clutched on his sides. He blinks as he tries to keep his composure.

“I’m not.” he says directly, “And even if I do, I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“Well I do. Because you’re not here for that.” Chanyeol’s words are harsh enough to make him crumble into pieces, his jaw is already clenching. “I don’t need you to slow down my progress just because you’ll forget what you’re ought to do.”

They’re already entering the subdivision and Baekhyun tries his best to keep himself from breaking down. He looks straight at Chanyeol’s eyes that are like daggers stabbing him straight to his chest.

“I know that.” his voice is low but it’s a lot firmer, “I’m not forgetting it―”

“Then do what you need to do and use the opportunities you’re getting, Baekhyun. You’re not helping me by sparing anyone you want.” he said before the car stops as they reached the house.

Baekhyun didn’t want to say it, nor to talk further, but it was too much for him to keep himself silent.

“I know what I need to do, Chanyeol. I know how this deal works but there are things that I choose to decide by myself. I hope you understand.” his voice surprisingly doesn’t stutter, “I don’t think it should be a problem as long as you get the outcome you want, right? Basic business.”

Chanyeol’s stare lingers at him for a while before he goes out of the car, slamming the door right after.

Baekhyun exhaled the breath he was holding in for so long. He shut his eyes tight as he was left alone inside the car, cold and breathless.

He got inside the mansion and the helpers are stiffly standing on the living room, their faces are flashing a familiar terror. Their eyes are all on the floor, as if afraid that the person they fear will come back again. Baekhyun doesn’t need to ask.

“Sorry…” he gently says and some of them look at him in confusion. He only smiles timidly before continuing, “Go on, now. Call me upstairs if I’m needed.” he said and saw the way his gentle approach encouraged them to loosen up. Baekhyun felt guilty because he was probably the reason why they got all snapped at a while ago. He must’ve provoked him.

He knew talking back to Chanyeol won’t do him good. It’s his first time doing so, and even if it felt new and nerve-cracking, it actually felt good. He probably won’t repeat it again, though. Chanyeol’s temper affects not just him, but everybody else in this house or wherever place he goes.

Thankfully, he didn’t bump into him on his way to his room. That would’ve been a chaos. He didn’t know how but as soon as his back hit the mattress, Baekhyun dozed off to sleep.

He wakes up and it’s still dark outside, the night is still deep. He thought it was past midnight but when he checked his phone, it’s still eleven in the evening.

He cringed when he realized he’s still wearing the same clothes so he changed them. When he walked back to his bed, he saw a bunch of missed calls from home.

“Yeri?” he calls when the line was picked, “What is it?”

_“I―well…”_ like before, he hears another mumbling from the other line and he perfectly knows what it’s all about, _“Mom would like to ask you something, Baekhyung―ugh come on, Eomma.”_

He had to wait for a while before he could get his mother to talk to him herself. Baekhyun gulps the lump forming in his throat. Is it really that hard?

“Mom?”

_“Well…Baekhyun-ah.” _Her gentle voice emphasizes her reluctance even more, _“Your high school friends went here and asked if you could go to the reunion next month…”_

Baekhyun’s mouth parted, “Oh…”

Just by the thought of it thrills him. But it will only be a problem if he attends. First of all, they agreed that he should be low profile as much as he could. He’s not allowed to leave as well. He doesn’t know what he should answer if ever they ask about his job or whatever he does.

And also, what would he say once they ask him about the _perfect couple _in high school? Baekhyun can’t even imagine what a disaster it would be.

His mother already understood his answer based from his silence. She lets out an awkward chuckle.

_“I…I told them you’re busy…” _she forces a laugh, _“Don’t worry about it…they’ll understand.”_

“Sorry Eomma…” Baekhyun’s dismay is evident in his voice, “I really wish to go but… I can’t leave yet. My job is too demanding for time.”

He doesn’t know why he bothers to lie, when he’s aware how much his mother knows him too well.

Through her silence, the way she talks to him with reluctance and even how she often avoids to have a conversation with him…he’s clearly hurting her by the things he does. Baekhyun knows that, and it hurts him even more.

His mother hums in response and Baekhyun can picture how disappointed she must be again, thinking that her only son couldn’t even spare them a visit for two years now.

_“Yes…that’s what I told them.” _she says, _“Don’t worry about it now. It’s just that, Jongdae was asking about you as well. He said he doesn’t know how to contact you and…I don’t really know what to say too.”_

“I will try to contact him myself.” Baekhyun immediately assures.

_“What do you really do there, Baekhyun?”_

Baekhyun is taken aback. After a long time, it’s only tonight that his mother tried asking him directly again. And like before, he still couldn’t tell a straight lie. He knows it’s useless.

He hears her sigh from the other line.

_“Forget it…I’m just worried.”_

“Like what I was doing there, Eomma…” he says, “Just…it’s a much bigger company. It handles international clients too…so it’s really hectic.”

_“Okay…” _he doesn’t even know if she’s convinced. Ever since, his mother has always been wise to know whether he’s bluffing or not, _“But…Baekhyun-ah, the big amount of money isn’t really necessary. The amount you’re sending before is enough for us. Yeri’s school expenses aren’t that expensive, and I’m still taking laundry sometimes as well. Half a million won is too much…”_

Baekhyun’s brows crossed.

“Eomma?” he straightens up from his seat, “Five-hundred thousand?”

_“Yes…” _she answers, _“And…these appliances and groceries…it’s too much, Baekhyun. I thought you said you’ll try buying a small refrigerator? This isn’t small at all…” _ her voice is genuinely confused. Baekhyun’s mouth flew open.

“I didn’t…” it was almost a whisper.

_“I do appreciate them, Baekhyun-ah…especially your sister. But if you’re wearing yourself out to give us these, then don’t.” _her voice is filled with concern, _“You know simple things are enough for me.”_

Baekhyun is still dumbfounded.

_“Baekhyun-ah?”_

“Ah…y-yes.” he gulps, “Eomma…we all know Yeri wants to be a lawyer. I want to send her to the best school. You can just save all the excess for future needs…I’ll open an account for you.”

_“But―”_

“Ma…don’t worry about it.” he says despite being so bewildered as well, “Everything I work for is for you and Yeri, okay? Don’t worry about me.”

She was silent for a while before muttering, _“Okay…”_

Baekhyun looks at the clock on the wall, “I need to do something first, Eomma. I’ll call you again soon.”

The silence around doesn’t even help him to get himself out of the thoughts that are running inside his head. And like the recent days, same voices came back to him like a flash of light. He didn’t have a chance to escape it.

_“Yeri talks about complicated things a lot.”_

_It was a silent observation. From the way Chanyeol smiled while watching his eight year old sister while she reenacted a court trial with them, he could tell he’s amused._

_Baekhyun stared at his face for a while before smiling to himself, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched his playing sister as well._

_“She said she really wants to be an ‘attorney’.” he chuckles, “Yeri isn’t aware about the things she blabbers most of the time.”_

_Chanyeol scrunched his face at him._

_“You say that.” he raised his brows, “I could see her doing it in the future.”_

_“You know we can’t afford it.” Baekhyun said with a humorous smile, “And she’s a kid. It’s a normal wishful thinking, she’ll get over it.”_

_“We were each other’s wishful thinking that age though, look we’re we are now.” the taller flashed him a cheeky smile that made him do the same._

_Chanyeol pulled him by his shoulder to kiss his head._

_“She’ll be a lawyer, we can do something about that.”_

Baekhyun stares at the wall.

When he needed to blink, it was the only time he got out of his deep thoughts. The voices fade as reality comes back, it was a memory.

Sometimes Baekhyun wishes that the memories they had wouldn’t be this clear in his mind. But unfortunately, every little thing he recalls about his youth is as clear and emphasized like a film. They used to make him happy, but now they just push him even deeper down this pit of loneliness. He doesn’t have a chance of getting out of it.

He didn’t send that big amount of money to his family, nor those other things his mother mentioned. Despite everything, Baekhyun still strives to provide for them himself from all his hard work alone. When he got into this mess, the only thing he promised to himself was that he’d be the one to give his mother and sister a better future. But he also knew that it wouldn’t be that easy.

So he doesn’t know how, or why Chanyeol suddenly helped them like this. It was him, of course. Baekhyun is sure of that. But he doesn’t remember the last time Chanyeol had associated himself with his family. He thought he despises him that much to even give a damn about anyone related to him. But now, Baekhyun is reminded of how his parents treated Chanyeol like their own son too.

In his heart, no matter how much he doesn’t want to admit, he’s hoping that Chanyeol still remembers it like how he does perfectly. That there is still a tiny bit left of the boy he knew.

Baekhyun steps out of his room before midnight. Without checking it beforehand, he knows that Chanyeol is still awake. He’s usually working until past midnight, as Baekhyun observes from his office window. Though he doesn’t usually enter it unless it’s business. But it’s different this time.

He stands in front of his office, trying to rehearse the words he’ll say. He’s trying to come up with lines that will be quick so he could leave immediately.

Before he could even knock, the door opens and Chanyeol sees him stiffly standing outside. His eyes are blank, yet he looks exhausted too.

Baekhyun stares back but wasn’t able to say anything. He remembers their conversation earlier and it made him even more reluctant to continue.

Chanyeol rubs his eyes as he walks past him without waiting for him to finish contemplating. Baekhyun stays looking at his back going farther from where he is before he eventually mumbles his words carefully.

“Uh…Chanyeol,” he calls as he gulps, “thank you.”

Chanyeol surprisingly faces him this time. His slightly frowning face looks the same, but his brows are raised at him.

“For t-the extra money…and the appliances and things…” he stutters and tries to keep his eyes straight to where they should be.

He waits for his answer, or whether he’ll walk away wordlessly, Baekhyun waits.

“They got them?”

Baekhyun looks at him, Chanyeol’s face looks exactly the same but the thing inside Baekhyun’s chest wouldn’t stop rummaging.

He flashes a small smile, “Yes…”

The taller nods slowly, “Good.”

“And I-I’m sorry…for what I said earlier. I really am.” he was surprised he had the courage to say whatever he needed, “I know things…are not exactly fine, but you still helped them. You know Yeri’s really aiming to―”

“Baekhyun.”

He immediately stops when Chanyeol cuts him off. There’s a small curve on his lips, but there’s not a trace of humor in it.

“No need for that.” his deep voice brings emphasis to his words, shattering Baekhyun even more. “I’m giving you that for a reason. We both get what we want here, right? I would gladly send them all of that, as long as you do what you need to do.”

Baekhyun purses his lips, looking straight to the cold pair of eyes in front of him.

“Like what you said, it’s a deal. A win-win situation for the outcome we both want.” Chanyeol grins, “Basic business.”

And then he left him again.


	8. 7-Betray

It's unusual for him to wake up a little later than he does every day, but with Baekhyun's stress these past few days, it's no question why.

He messaged Sehun that he just woke up so he'll go to the company a little late, to which he was given a lot of teasing as response. Somehow, it made him smile. He's also partially thankful because he has slighter chance of joining Chanyeol for breakfast since the latter also leaves early too. Distancing himself from him has been Baekhyun's hobby recently, especially after everything Chanyeol said. It's funny because he was right. Baekhyun was the only one who assumed things when it's clearly nothing but a deal. He doesn't seem to mind not seeing Baekhyun often too as long as he gets the updates he wants.

As always, Baekhyun feels like shit.

When he got downstairs to grab his brunch, he sees the helper preparing cups of coffee on the tray. His brows furrowed as he tries to figure out who it must be for.

"Hey...uhm," he timidly smiles as he walks closer, "he hasn't left yet?"

The young helper smiles at him first before shaking her head, "He's still upstairs, Sir. Chairman Park is also there."

His smile slightly fades off.

"Oh..." he glances up as if he could possibly see them. He faces her again while nodding, he didn't say anything more.

He stares into space for the whole span of his breakfast. Chanyeol's uncle hasn't been there for a long time. From what Baekhyun heard, he's getting his treatment and therapies abroad after appointing Chanyeol as the head, though he still has the major say in terms of Flair. He also didn't take the news of having Baekhyun in the mansion too well but Baekhyun didn't dig further into that. The last thing he'll do is meddle between him and Chanyeol. He isn't in the place to do so.

He chuckles to himself. Nobody really likes him here.

Few minutes had passed when three men went inside the mansion without sparing him a glance. They're all wearing uniforms that match their blank expressions. It wasn't hard to figure that they're already ordered to fetch the old man upstairs. Baekhyun starts finding it difficult to swallow.

When he hears footsteps and the thumping sound of wood against the tiles of the stairs, his breath almost hitched. He puts down his spoon and looks at the same men going down the stairs while guiding a familiar man between them, his eyes are already on Baekhyun. There are already strands of gray hair on his head and his movements are slower and weaker compared to the last time Baekhyun saw him. Though his lips curve into a sly smile as he slows down near to where he is.

"Wow...we have the heir here." his voice has the same tone and implied meaning in it, "How are you, Baekhyun-ah?"

Baekhyun stands straight from his seat as he forces a smile.

"Good morning, Sir."

He couldn't look straight at him, but he could tell his smile is getting even broader. He never fails to make Baekhyun feel so small whenever he's here. Even smaller than how he already feels.

"Ah...too bad, I need to be somewhere right now. I just delivered the news to my nephew." he clicks his tongue, faking dismay. "It's nice seeing you again, Baekhyun. Maybe next time we could catch up?"

He nods with the same forced smile on his face. The men continued walking out of the house but Mr. Park's gaze lingered on him a little longer before he eventually follows.

He lets out a huge breath when he heard the car left. Again, he glances up towards the direction of Chanyeol's office, bewildered that he hasn't heard anything from him yet.

And what was that news?

He insisted on cleaning his plates on his own when in fact, he also grabbed this chance to wait for Chanyeol or Minseok to come down. But neither of them did. Baekhyun cautiously looks around while wiping his hands dry and made sure no helper is around before he goes upstairs. Though instead of the hall to his room, he walks to the opposite side where Chanyeol's office is at.

For the record, eavesdropping is wrong. Meddling in someone else's business is wrong. His nosiness will be his end if he continues being like this but Baekhyun continues to follow his instinct as he presses his ear on the door.

_"Why won't he tell you? He couldn't possibly just picked the news somewhere."_

_"Of course he doesn't."_ he could tell that Chanyeol's gritting his teeth, _"That asshole thinks I wouldn't be able to move on my own. He feels like I need his help all the time."_

Baekhyun listens closely, it isn't hard to figure out who Chanyeol was pertaining to but he still doesn't understand it completely.

_"Still..." _Minseok's voice sounds a lot more serious yet calmer, _"It's still a bit intriguing to how he found the man when we couldn't find him through the years."_

He purses his lips and moves closer against the door, his brows crossing.

He hears Chanyeol's loud sigh.

_"It's not the bigger problem." _Chanyeol says, _"Now that Attorney Jang is dead, the next bigger people we can find are the surviving eyewitnesses."_

By the mention of his name alone, Baekhyun's eyes widen.

It didn't take him too long to realize where he heard the name. Because it was just very recent...and it sure didn't sound dead to him.

_"How about Baekhyun?" _Minseok asks, his tone is a little reluctant with the mention of his name as if it's forbidden. _"Should we tell him?"_

Despite knowing the most possible answer, Baekhyun listens intently. Chanyeol doesn't answer immediately. Though his voice is more stoic when he speaks.

_"It's not something he should focus on."_

Damn it.

Baekhyun places heavy knocks on the door right after it. He could help! He knows something. He will meddle if he needs to.

The door is soon unlocked and opened, revealing Minseok's face in front of him. His brows raised as if he's suddenly baffled by Baekhyun presence.

"Baekhyun..." he calls but his eyes widened when Baekhyun's face remains serious and he begins stepping inside, "Wait...were you lis―"

Baekhyun walks past him with his gaze directed on Chanyeol who's leaning on his swivel chair while his temple rests on his hand. He's already wearing his white polo for office as if he was just interrupted on his way earlier this day. Baekhyun tries to pay it no heed.

"Your father's lawyer..." he almost mumbles the word father, "he's...dead?"

Chanyeol stares at him, his finger rubs on his chin as if he's figuring out whether he should answer Baekhyun.

"Chanyeol."

"Apparently, yes."

Baekhyun turns to Minseok who's watching both of them intently behind the door.

"What's his complete name?"

Minseok glances to Chanyeol but gulps when he realizes for himself that Baekhyun won't let this go without knowing what he wants.

"Attorney Jang Yeon-Seo...he was the family lawyer of the Park's for so many years...until before the massacre."

Baekhyun has seen and heard of this name for so many times. Mostly from his father's office.

He's certain of it.

"When did he die?"

Minseok glances to Chanyeol again, as if asking for some signal but Chanyeol remains watching Baekhyun in front of him, saying nothing.

"Well...Chairman Park said he died of Cardiac Arrest in Canada eight months ago."

Baekhyun shakes his head. He's sure it wasn't eight months ago when he heard the man speak of its name.

He faces Chanyeol with conviction.

"He isn't dead, Chanyeol." he says, sounding so certain. Chanyeol watches him, unmoving yet his eyes say something more, "I'm sure. He's alive and well."

Minseok blinks rapidly.

"Uh, Baekhyun...Chairman Park got a copy of his death certificate and―"

"Well then it's fake because he isn't dead!" Baekhyun exclaims that silenced Minseok, he faces Chanyeol again. "My...I mean, the Alpha has been talking to him recently for a lot of times. I heard it!"

No one responds. Minseok's mouth is parted while Chanyeol remains looking at him, though obviously in deep thought.

"I can try finding it out and search evidences." he adds, "If my hunch is right that he's already here in Korea, then I'm sure I can find him―"

"No." Chanyeol speaks this time. Baekhyun's shoulders droop down, "You won't do that."

Baekhyun shakes his head.

"But why? I'm sure it's him!"

"It's not for you to find out." Chanyeol says with finality, "We're not sure about anything. Just make sure you won't speak about this to anyone and keep yourself busy with your job in your company and the Alpha."

Baekhyun stands there, unable to retaliate when Chanyeol has obviously made up his mind.

He gulps before smiling sarcastically.

"It's because you don't trust me, do you?"

Chanyeol dismissed this and kept his eyes on the papers in front of him.

Baekhyun chuckles, "Fine. Suit yourself."

His lips are pursed into a thin line as he steps out of the office and walks away. He had to gulp the huge lump in his throat as he strives to keep his chin up.

Chanyeol's gaze lifts up from the papers to the opened door of his office where Baekhyun just went out. He clutches on the pen on his hand before looking at Minseok beside the door who's obviously still taken aback.

"Do everything you can to find Attorney Jang."

He really feels like shit.

He couldn't believe he offered help and he was just straight up dismissed like that. Chanyeol didn't even bother hearing his explanation. He really believed that the lawyer is dead, based from a goddamn certificate that is surely fake.

Baekhyun is spacing out. He already went to the office late and now he's even abandoning his job.

He sighs before focusing back on the papers he has to read.

"Hey, deep thinking is not allowed here." someone speaks behind him, "Unless you tell what you're thinking about then I can let it pass."

Sehun sits beside him, wearing a suit. It's funny how employees here usually get intimidated by him when he's such an opposite persona. Though Baekhyun clearly remembers the first time they met so he can't really blame them.

As much as Baekhyun wants to joke around too, he's too preoccupied with things. Sehun noticed this by the way he only responded with a forced smile.

He leans his cheek on his palm.

"What are you thinking?"

Baekhyun stares at his hands playing with his highlighter. He shakes his head.

"Nothing."

Sehun nods, obviously not buying it though. He remains watching Baekhyun and it only makes him feel worse. When silence envelopes them, Baekhyun exhales deeply.

"How do you make a person listen to you..." he mutters with his gaze still on his hands, "when...you know, the person doesn't really trust you?"

Sehun raises his brows, obviously bewildered by the question. Though he shrugs.

"I guess the answer is already in the question, right?" he says casually, "If they've closed their minds when it comes to you, then how would you expect them to listen?"

Baekhyun feels a pang in his chest as he nods. He's right.

Sehun stares at him, "What's wrong?" he asks and sits straightly. "Who are we talking about exactly?"

He flashes a fake smile, "Ah...just a friend of mine."

He nods again, though it's ironic how Baekhyun can clearly tell he doesn't buy it.

"Screw that friend." he snorts, "Get rid of him. You don't need that kind of people."

Baekhyun smiles, "I didn't say it's a _he._"

"I just can feel it." Sehun shrugs and Baekhyun's smile fades, "Just tell me if you have a problem or something, I can help you."

"You will?"

Sehun nods, "Yeah. You're my boss." he grins when Baekhyun slightly frowns, "And you're my friend too of course."

He smiles again, "Thanks..."

The taller stands up and claps his hand, "Anyways! Why are you sulking here? The small celebration we prepared for you is tonight! Do you already have something to wear?"

Baekhyun's mouth parted.

"That's tonight?"

"Uh...I thought it's a small celebration?"

Baekhyun forces a smile as employees greet him when they went inside the high-end bar. It isn't the party he expected since it looks like Sehun reserved the biggest VIP lounge for them. As expected, he's the host of the party, since everyone else knew him better than the actual heir himself.

"Is everyone here?"

"Most of them. It's a free party so why would they turn it down, right?" Sehun grins, "Don't worry. I still owe you so it's all on me tonight. Besides! Everyone wants to hang out with you."

Baekhyun chuckles. He finds this very hard to believe.

"Don't believe me?" Sehun casually taps someone who walks past them, "I'm the proof." he winks.

"Okay! Drinks up for Baekhyun!" Sehun yells in the middle of the lounge when the drinks were all served. The people coo and smile at Baekhyun who's timidly smiling back, "To the person who'll sign your pay slips in the future!"

They laugh.

"Yeeeeeah!"

"To our future boss!"

"Cheers!"

Baekhyun smiles broadly when his glass hits the others.

They asked him a few things, wherein some lies were told because it involved his past no one should know. Much to his relief, they all seemed convinced. Sehun only listens beside him, adding some more in his glass even though he nudges him that it's enough.

"You're spoiling the fun of free drinks!"

"But I shouldn't drink too much."

Sehun rolls his eyes before standing up and going to the restroom. The rest of the employees went downstairs to the dance floor. Baekhyun only watches them from his seat.

His phone buzzes.

_From: Minseok_

_Where are you?_

Baekhyun checks his wristwatch only to find out that it's almost midnight. He bites his lip before closing his phone. The alcohol in his system and the memories of the morning that day made him suddenly irritated.

He won't answer, okay.

Baekhyun glares at the empty space. He'll find out about Attorney Jang, with or without Chanyeol's consent.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Sehun widens his eyes at him, "This is your party, for god's sake! Let's dance!"

"I don't really feel like dancing..."

Sehun glares at him.

"Come on!" he tries pulling him up but Baekhyun pulls his weight even more, "Ah, I'll expose you to the Chairman if you don't stand up!"

Baekhyun froze.

"W-What?"

Sehun blinks his eyes, obviously tipsy from the alcohol.

His breath almost hitched. He couldn't possibly...

"I'll tell him you roamed around Insadong instead of going to the conference!"

Baekhyun sighs in relief. Sehun raises his brows at him especially when he breaks into a smile.

"But it was your fault Sehun..."

Sehun exhales in frustration, "Ah, I know..." he mumbles and Baekhyun chuckles. "Can we just dance?"

Baekhyun rolls his eyes before standing up and pulling Sehun this time. The latter flashes his victorious smile when Baekhyun walks down to the dance floor ahead of him.

He pulls Baekhyun in the middle of the dance floor, where the dancing is the most intense. Sehun holds his waist and begins to move sensually in front of him. Baekhyun tries to dance despite his spinning gaze and the flashy neon lights around them. He finds it hard to look around properly.

Sehun leans down to his ear every now and then to speak because of the loud thumping music. Baekhyun laughs while Sehun grins at him. As the dance floor becomes more and more crowded, it becomes suffocating for him. His heart starts beating so fast and he's perspiring coldly. He looks at Sehun's eyes as he pulls him closer to avoid bumping onto others.

The neon lights flashes onto their faces, hurting his eyes. He narrows them, suddenly going deaf as everything else around sounds muffled. He couldn't hear what Sehun was saying. He's dizzy.

When Sehun looks back at his heavy-lidded eyes, he almost leans down on Baekhyun's face when the other speaks.

"Sehun..."

He holds on his arm, stopping him as reality comes back. The loud music is back, together with his sudden decision.

He pulls Sehun away from the dance floor to the main door of the club. They move too quickly that none from the employees noticed them. Sehun looks bewildered as Baekhyun pulls him to the corner of the bar outside. Baekhyun is panting heavily, as if he just ran when they simply grinded against each other inside.

"Baekhyun?"

"Sehun, listen to me." he heaves, looking straight into his eyes. "Promise me you won't tell anyone."

He needs someone he could trust to pull this off. And Sehun is clearly that person.

"Baekhyun, what is happening?" Sehun asks worriedly. "Is everything alr―"

"I need your help." he says directly. Sehun's brows crossed even more, "You said you owe me, right?"

Sehun nods mindlessly, still looking clueless about what he's about to say.

"The Chairman's lawyer..." he says eagerly, "I need to find him and talk―"

"Baekhyun."

He wasn't able to finish when the voice behind demanded his attention. Chanyeol is standing behind him looking so grim.

Baekhyun gulps. His heart feels like jumping out of his chest.

"Y-Yeol...I..."

"Let's go home." he almost seethes but Baekhyun could tell he's controlling himself. His eyes travel from him to Sehun.

Sehun straightens up as he stares back at him.

"Mr. Park Chanyeol." he raises his brows, "Is that right?"

Chanyeol's lips curved, though his eyes scream nothing but hatred.

"Baekhyun, we're going home."

Baekhyun knew they had to leave when Sehun chortles in amusement beside him. There's no way he'll prolong having Sehun this close to Chanyeol. He's drunk. And Chanyeol is...not amused.

"Sorry, Sehun..." he's sweating so bad, trying to formulate an explanation in his mind. "W-We'll go."

Sehun nods. He still has a trace of sly smile on his face and Baekhyun could tell that he's provoking Chanyeol with this.

"See you then." he says and uses his fingers to salute at Chanyeol, "And I hope to see you again, Mr. Park."

Chanyeol nods once, "Oh you will."

Baekhyun wanted to wait until Sehun goes back inside but Chanyeol already held his arm and pulls him away from there. Instead of the usual Maserati, an Aston Martin is parked on the corner of the parking area. Baekhyun feels even more nervous. There's no driver, or anyone this time.

The alcohol isn't helping either. He wants to run...so bad.

"Get in." Chanyeol looks at him darkly from the other side.

"I'll take a cab."

"Get in!"

Baekhyun pants heavily, pursing his lips as he hops inside. He puts the seatbelt and kept his eyes outside from then on. He doesn't need to look at Chanyeol to know if he's angry because the way the car moves too fast on the almost secluded road is already enough proof.

Chanyeol clenches his jaw while driving. The image of neon lights surrounding Baekhyun while dancing and whispering too close to another man constantly flashes in his mind. His grip on the wheel tightens.

He effortlessly parked in front of the mansion and Baekhyun already hops out of the car without a word. He ignores Chanyeol calling for his name as he runs inside the house. The few maids left ask if he already ate but Baekhyun runs past them.

He'll get inside his room. He'll deal with this tomorrow, when he's not tired and tipsy.

"Baekhyun!" Chanyeol's angry voice echoes around the hall, "Stop. I'm talking to you!"

Baekhyun is close to reaching his room but he yelps when a tight grasp wraps around his arm and pulls him to the dark balcony.

He grits his teeth when Chanyeol pins his shoulders to the wall, his sharp gaze directed at him.

"You don't fucking turn your back on me!"

"I'm tired! I don't want to talk!"

"Cause what? Huh? Cause I caught you betraying me?"

Baekhyun bites his lip. He knew he thought about it like this, and he wouldn't hear a word Baekhyun says so what's the point?

"I'm not betraying you..."

"I'm not fucking stupid Baekhyun!"

"You won't listen to me anyway!" he yells back, voice breaking. "I'm trying to ask for his help!"

The word is the trigger. Chanyeol pins him harder to the wall while his jaw hardens.

"Help?" Chanyeol hisses, "By doing the only thing I told you not to? You'll tell him about Attorney Jang, right? And what did I tell you about breaking one rule, Baekhyun?"

"I-It's not what y-you think it is..." he almost couldn't hear his voice. The volume gets lower and lower every inch Chanyeol occupies in front of him.

He could feel his ragged breathing on his face and Baekhyun doesn't dare to look straight to his bloodshot eyes. His fingers are trembling, he could feel his anger even without words. He doesn't know, and maybe he'll never know any way to tame Chanyeol when he makes him this weak.

"And what am I thinking?"

His voice is taunting. Baekhyun keeps his gaze on his broad chest in front of him. He's clutching tight on the stone patio behind him as he gets pinned right on it. He's lost of words. He doesn't know how to say it in a way that Chanyeol will possibly believe.

"I'm not t-trying to betray you, Chanyeol." he breathes, "You know I'll never do that."

"Oh you're not, huh?" his jaw is clenching, pinning Baekhyun even more with his body while his hands rest on both his sides. "You know what I think? I think you forgot about our goddamn deal."

Baekhyun couldn't speak anymore. It isn't true. He didn't and he'll never forget his responsibilities in this plan.

Those are his constant reminders of his rightful place here, why should he forget?

He bites his lip and shakes his head. Chanyeol looks like he wants to hurt someone again. And he's just waiting for him to raise his fist.

"Why don't you look at me?" Chanyeol tilts his head. He grits his teeth, "Because it's true, isn't it, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun looks at him this time, despite his wobbling knees.

"No, Chanyeol."

"Are you falling for that bastard?"

He stares directly into his eyes with his flaming ones. Baekhyun opens his mouth to deny, but he wasn't able to say something when he got drowned by his stare and words were kept scrambled inside his head.

Chanyeol takes this differently. He chuckles sourly and grasps Baekhyun's face in his hand.

"You know what I do with people who try to get on my way? I get rid of them, for good." he says as he grasp his cheeks tighter when Baekhyun tries to move his face away. He makes sure Baekhyun looks at his eyes while he speaks, he pins him even harder. "Want me to get rid of that fucking apprentice for you? Maybe you'll get your shit together and realize why you're here and who you work fo―"

He wasn't able to finish when Baekhyun's palm hits him strongly across the face. His head was slightly thrown to his side, and his hand unconsciously holds the side of his face that stings in pain.

Baekhyun breathes raggedly. His palm was hurt from the impact too, but it wasn't the sole reason why it's trembling on his side. He didn't want to do it. But he had too. Chanyeol's too much. He's too much.

"Fuck you."

There, he said it. It took him a lot of courage to do so. It should feel really nice, but it doesn't.

He gulps before quickly stepping away but Chanyeol wouldn't let him. In a snap, he's back to being pinned on the balcony wall with his lips being attacked harshly. Baekhyun automatically holds onto his shoulders to try and push him away but to no avail, it was grasped to his side while Chanyeol's other hand wraps around his neck to keep his head still. His strong legs are pinning Baekhyun's shorter ones to keep him in place, unable to fight.

"P-Please st―" he pants heavily when his lips escaped, allowing him to talk for a while as Chanyeol unbuckles his own belt. Baekhyun felt like falling down when his body got off from his grasp but he's harshly pushed back to the wall, his head and back hitting it loud producing a thumping sound, "AH!"

Chanyeol's hand is on his neck, making sure he takes his kisses completely. Baekhyun's weight is slightly lifted from the floor, just by how hard he's being pressed against the hard wall behind is enough to have his tears pooling on the corner of his eyes.

"What, huh? You're getting braver now because of your murderer father, Baekhyun?" his hand wraps around his neck while their noses almost touch, "You think you can run away now?"

Baekhyun sobs as he tries to punch his shoulder, "D-Damn you." he seethes, "And yes! I don't fucking want to be here any―"

Chanyeol presses his cheeks tight and shuts him up himself. No matter how hard he tries, Chanyeol's words make him weak to even fight.

It seemed like Chanyeol stops caring even if they're outside, in an open balcony where everyone could see. His mouth couldn't get enough of him, only letting him breathe in between as he kisses him down to his jaw and neck then back to his mouth soon after. His hands are no longer on Baekhyun's arm or neck but begins to do the job of unzipping his pants below. Baekhyun's watering eyes look around the darkness while Chanyeol sucks on his neck and holds onto his pants. He can slowly feel his pants loosening around his waist.

Baekhyun shuts his eyes tight when his cheek hits the hard wall. He was forcefully flipped around before his pants are pulled down together with his underwear. His lower lip starts hurting after biting it for a while to suppress his screams. Chanyeol's large fingers are already rubbing onto the skin of his rim.

He will never get used to this roughness. Living with Chanyeol for two years had him thinking that maybe he'll get immune from all the pain he badly wants to inflict on him, but he doesn't. Even right on the moment he offered the deal of helping him, he also began having nights with Chanyeol like this one, as if he's some kind of object to which he can steam off his anger and desire. He understood, like how irrationally does, that Chanyeol is just like that. He has eager needs and he happens to be the one who can possibly satisfy him.

"A-Ah..." he grunts between his breaths when Chanyeol's two fingers fit in him so well as they move in a faster pace, causing friction against his flesh. Chanyeol's body is still pressed against him behind, sucking and nibbling on his nape and ear as he adds another finger below that made Baekhyun unconsciously spread his feet open and arch his waist back.

His three fingers make their way in and out of his hole even faster. He's already leaking with precum and Chanyeol felt so hard against him as well. Baekhyun's hand is trembling as it tries to hold onto the wall in front of him. Despite being fully clothed, it felt like Chanyeol is already fucking the hell out of him behind with his fingers alone. When his another arm travelled from his waist down to his cock, Baekhyun couldn't open his eyes any longer. His thoughts are scrambled in his head and it's obvious from the way his moans become so incoherent.

"Hng―ah!" the volume of his voice isn't under his control anymore. When Chanyeol grasps his dick harder while pumping it with his hand with the same pace his fingers do behind, Baekhyun is already losing it. His lips parted as he lets out another scream when he explodes right on the wall in front and Chanyeol's hand, staining them perfectly.

Chanyeol holds him by the jaw again even when he's between catching his breath. They share a wet kiss and Baekhyun's mind has been flying into farther ideas. He needs more.

The kiss was broken when he eagerly faces him, quickly taking his own shirt off up to his head. Chanyeol's watches him with the flaming desire on his eyes. Baekhyun completely sets himself naked before he holds onto Chanyeol's pants, not thinking straight anymore as he tries to unzip it.

Chanyeol lets him do it on his own, his mouth curving into a satisfied smirk watching Baekhyun being bare and needy in front of him.

"I see I can still sate you better."

It's an insult. That whoever tries to touch him, he's still better than any of them. Though his mocking grin fades off when Baekhyun only glances up at him, not responding at all. He gives his full attention on Chanyeol's cock in front of him, but Chanyeol doesn't like it at all.

He shoves his hand away and takes a handful of Baekhyun's hair from behind. He's in control.

He kisses him the way he wants to, and touches him the same. He makes sure he hears Baekhyun plead, and that he won't take any of it into consideration.

By lifting him by the bum, his short legs automatically wraps around Chanyeol's waist. He finds his way into Baekhyun's room just beside the balcony. It's not too long before Baekhyun had his back thrown on his bed. The lights are off aside from the small lamp on the corner. His watering eyes make it hard for him to see anything.

He felt the coldness against his bare skin when emptiness fills him. He could barely make anything out of the dark. Chanyeol is standing on the edge of the bed, taking his clothes off. When he does, his large hands grab Baekhyun by the ankles and pull him down. He crawls in between his legs, folding them on both his sides as he pulls him more. Chanyeol's hair is messy, his equally darkening eyes are looking straight to Baekhyun within the darkness.

He leans down and places kisses on his chest, sucking and licking down to his torso. Baekhyun's eyes are looking up the ceiling, his mouth opens as he lets out labored breaths through it. When Chanyeol's mouth reaches his right thigh, he gasps and holds on to his head. Chanyeol lifts his gaze up to his face.

"Keep your hands still."

Baekhyun almost sobs as his hands let go, falling back to his sides where they wouldn't stop trembling. Chanyeol sucks the skin in his inner thighs between his teeth. When his hand reaches for Baekhyun's cock, it's soon replaced by his mouth when he began licking it from the tip before taking it whole. Chanyeol looks up to his face while Baekhyun arches his hips forward, opposite to the movement of his head. Few more bobs and Baekhyun wasn't able to stop himself from holding on Chanyeol's hair again.

His cock slips out from his mouth when Chanyeol stops and straightens up. His eyes darted on Baekhyun.

"Shall I tie your hands?" his tone is testing. Baekhyun frantically shakes his head, panting heavily, "Clasp them together above your head."

Baekhyun doesn't have any choice but to comply when Chanyeol intensely stares at him, serious about stopping if he won't do it. He holds both his hands together above his head before Chanyeol leans down and spreads his cheeks apart as his tongue strokes between, right on his rim. Baekhyun bites his lip as he lets out soft whimpers. Chanyeol tangles his arm under his leg to pull him closer, spreading his ass wider with just his fingers. His tongue devours on him, travelling up to the base of his cock then down to his hole again. The bones of his fingers feel like crashing above him as he clutches on them tight while still suppressing his moans.

Chanyeol straightens up between his legs, still pumping his dick with his hand. He watches Baekhyun becoming a complete mess under him, exposed and widely spread. His neck and cheeks are flushing, his lips are parted and his eyes are tightly closed. Chanyeol grunts and holds his own cock with his other hand. It felt so hard against his palm just by looking at Baekhyun in front of him, looking so sinful.

Chanyeol strokes the both of them until Baekhyun lets out a loud moan and twitches in his hand. He comes for the second time, splatting more of his juice on their skin. Chanyeol's hand left him to let himself follow, moaning and grunting deeply. Baekhyun watches him, gulping the dryness in his throat. He feels so spent and worn out, but it sure is not enough yet.

"Ah..." Chanyeol tilts his head up, brows furrowed as he comes on his hand. Baekhyun gulps. Chanyeol finishes with a few more pumps before he kneels closer to him. His eyes are filled with so much lust this time. He impatiently flips Baekhyun around by his legs, making his cheek press on the sheets underneath. Baekhyun unclasps his hands, clutching on the sheet instead as his hips are arched up by his strong hands. He enters him from behind without a bit of hesitation.

"Ah! Y-Yeol, p-please―ah!" he screams loud, Chanyeol grasps him harder that his hands will surely leave marks. He pulls himself in and out of Baekhyun, too fast that Baekhyun couldn't comprehend anything anymore. His knees are wobbling as he tries to hold his weight.

"D-Don't s-stop! Agh!" Baekhyun holds the sheet tight. Chanyeol holds his nape behind and harshly presses him down. He pushes slow yet hard thrusts, hitting the bundle of nerves inside that made Baekhyun cry even more. He stops in between them too. He bites his knuckles as his screams become out of his control. He drools on the sheet under him while tears pool his eyes as well, "Chanyeol, please..."

Chanyeol grits his teeth, strands of hair fall in front of his eyes. "Again."

"Please!"

"Will that bastard be able to do you like this, Baekhyun?" he takes satisfaction from Baekhyun's pleading whimpers under him. "No."

Baekhyun couldn't answer. He thrusts his hips against Chanyeol's cock, not able to contain his needs. The taller holds his waist still and pushes hard to his brim.

"No?"

"A-Ah! N-No!"

Chanyeol grunts huskily. He continues to fuck him behind, full of vigor and impatience. He feels something in his gut clenching as he arches his back even more. Chanyeol pulls him up by the shoulder. He tilts his head to meet his wet and hungry kisses behind, biting on his lip while he moans against his mouth.

Baekhyun reaches another orgasm, cumming onto the sheet and spurting some on his legs and hand. He falls on his elbows as Chanyeol quickens his pace behind, ramming inside him harder to reach his own peak. When he does, he fills Baekhyun's hole with his juice, stroking his cock as he grunts under his breath.

His body falls on the bed as soon as Chanyeol emptied him. He pants heavily, the pain on his arms and legs is sure to stay with him for a while. He lays down, almost lifelessly, and he could only hear Chanyeol's ragged breathing under him. He feels like all his strength is taken away from him like he's dried up of fluid in his body. His head is already spinning, as if he's really disabled from moving.

"I dare you to run away now, Baekhyun." Chanyeol says tauntingly, grabbing his pants on the floor while he stares at him. "I'd like to see you try." 


	9. 8-Storms

_From the moment I wake,_

_To the moment I sleep_

_I'll be there by your side,_

_Just you try and stop me._

"I'll be waiting in line...just to see if you can."

The lyrics of the song are monotonously coming out from his lips, almost like mouthing them. He knows it, word by word. By listening to it every day, his heart and every bit of him know this song.

He sits on the edge of his bed, feet tapping by the beat while he stares blankly out of his window. His voice is faint.

"Don't you shiver..."

"Baekhyun?"

The continuous knocks on the door made him stop humming, though he's unmoved from where he sits. It took him a while before he reaches for his phone beside him to stop the music. Right then, he stands up and grabs his bag from the floor without even looking at it.

"Baekhyun?"

He opens the door just when Minseok was about to knock again. The assistant looks at him for a while before eventually asking.

"Ready?"

Baekhyun only nods. Minseok immediately notices his eyes and his very restricted actions.

"Uh...why were you waiting inside your room?" Minseok tries to smile, "I thought you'll come down and join me for coffee?"

He looks at the smiling man in front of him. Minseok has always been joining him for coffee or breakfast whenever he waits for Chanyeol to get ready every morning. This is also the reason why they became good friends throughout the time he's here.

He's suddenly so confused.

"Sorry...I overslept." Baekhyun says, even his tone doesn't seem like his usual one.

"Ah..." Minseok nods, widening his smile in high hopes that he'll influence Baekhyun into smiling as well. "I heard from the maids that you're not coming out of yo―"

"Minseok..." Baekhyun forces a smile at him, "Aren't we in a hurry?"

The man nods.

"Right."

"Let's chat later, okay?"

Baekhyun's smile pinches something in his heart. And even if he has an idea why, he still dares to ask.

"Baekhyun," Minseok makes sure his voice will only be heard by Baekhyun especially how it's filled with concern. "Is everything okay?"

The brunette looks at him with indifference. His forced grin and shrugging shoulders are not even convincing anymore.

"Yep, why?"

When the answer is followed by another question, a rhetorical one at least, Minseok doesn't dare pushing through the topic anymore. He knows too well that Baekhyun will never, ever say anything. No matter how much you can see through his eyes.

Especially if he knows whom the loyalty of everyone around him belongs to.

They walk down the stairs and the car is already parked in front, waiting for them. Baekhyun walks ahead while Minseok tries to weigh his actions and thinks of better choice of words to say. Yet he still fails. Before they reach the car, Minseok reaches his pace and stands beside him.

"You can always quit, Baekhyun."

His tone is serious, yet Baekhyun knows he's sincere and worried. Baekhyun smiles for the first time that day, though it's a smile that didn't make anyone feel better, not even himself. He gets inside the car.

No quitting. No turning back, remember?

When he sits inside, he swallows before keeping his gaze outside while Minseok's words repeatedly echo in his head. He doesn't bother looking at the man beside him, or even steal a glance. He's exhausted. Even doing the littlest things consumes every amount of energy left in his body.

The past days had him so tired. But quitting is nowhere in his options. He cannot rest, like what his mother always says. It will pass. Everyone gets tired, and so does he.

If it was any other normal human being, it will be rational to be mad. To despise him, the man right beside him. But Baekhyun is not in the same case. Maybe he loves Chanyeol so much that it is just impossible to make his heart hate him. Baekhyun understood, that this is just how he loves. Selfless and stupid. And the ironic thing about it, is that Chanyeol could hate him this much. Maybe from the very beginning, he's just the only one who had loved him with all his being.

He smiles bitterly. Chanyeol may have completely lost his love for him, but it won't make him do the same.

Baekhyun is simply numb.

For now, it's the worst thing to feel. It's like being neutral to everything. But to be angry and to despise him are not in his vocabulary. At least not yet. He doesn't want it to come either. He wants to finish this doing the best he can. Not only for Chanyeol, but for his parents, and everyone who needs justice. And when things finally fall into place, then that's the time he'll tell himself it is good to go and set himself free.

When Baekhyun opens his eyes, they're nearing the tall buildings of their company. _His _company. He does what he needs to do, get out of the car after it's parked and quietly follow Chanyeol and everyone else around him as they go inside. His height got nothing on them. He's only close to Minseok's height but the latter is always beside Chanyeol so he's left surrounded by tall guards behind.

With the flick of Chanyeol's hands, the men go to different ways outside the building and it's only the three of them that continue towards the main entrance. Minseok presses something on his ear and mumbles something under his breath before he glances at Chanyeol. The taller then stops and looks behind him where Baekhyun is quietly following. Their eyes meet before Chanyeol nonchalantly reaches for his hand and intertwines their fingers.

Baekhyun's hand is loosely holding onto it, unlike how Chanyeol holds his hands firmly. When the VIP elevator opens, the Chairman goes out of it together with his conglomerates. His already smiling face beams even bigger when he spots the both of them, forcing Baekhyun to hold firmly onto Chanyeol's hand too and start his act.

"Ah, Mr. Park! I'm glad you came!" he enthusiastically offers his hand to Chanyeol, who's convincingly smiling broad as well. His other hand shakes the Chairman's palm, while the other remains holding Baekhyun's.

"I was just telling them about you!" he chuckles and the businessmen behind him bow at Chanyeol too despite being older. The Chairman's crinkling eyes spot his son, "Oh, Baekhyun-ah, how's your weekend?" he asked while giving him a half hug.

Chanyeol glances at him sideways.

"I had a good rest, Sir." Baekhyun timidly smiles and his father only nods before facing Chanyeol again.

"It's too bad they need to leave now." he shakes his head in dismay. The businessmen bid their goodbyes to them, "Those are very good friends of mine. Maybe you know some of them and their franchise, perhaps?" Baekhyun couldn't keep up with their conversation especially when they began talking about names he doesn't know. He walks behind them, but Chanyeol doesn't let go of his hand. He needed to keep up with their pace.

"They prepared a brunch for us on the rooftop. I told the chefs to prepare a lot of dishes. It has the best view of the city up there too, if you must know." he laughs. He takes a quick look at his son behind when they reach the elevator, "Baekhyun, do you have any specific request?"

He shakes his head, not wanting to draw the attention to him even more.

"Anything's fine..."

The Chairman smiles and Baekhyun catches his gaze falling on their intertwined hands before he faces back in front.

The elevator goes up to the top floor and Baekhyun is already dizzy. He never really liked being in very high places. When they step outside, there's a fine restaurant there for the executives. The chefs and servers are lined up in the hall to give courtesy to the Chairman himself and the visitors. Baekhyun only smiles back to those who politely greeted him. Everyone knew Chanyeol as well. Baekhyun's not sure if they were given notice about his arrival or he's just simply recognized everywhere now. Either way, the gushing looks they give to the both of them and to their attached hands do not make him any comfortable.

From the end of the hall, Sehun walks towards them. He looks a lot more professional right now with his navy blue suit. Baekhyun tries to pull his hand from Chanyeol's hold since they're about to reach the table now but Chanyeol holds it firmer. He looks at his face but Chanyeol remains facing in front without sparing him a glance.

"Mr. Park, I believe you haven't met one of my best associates yet. This is Oh Sehun, I've been mentoring him for years." he proudly taps the young man while looking at Chanyeol. Baekhyun is the only one who can clearly see the tension between them. "I can say he's my son's best pal here too." he laughs and Baekhyun forces a smile when Chanyeol chuckles.

"Right he is." Baekhyun blinks when Chanyeol glances at him before turning to Sehun, "Nice meeting you, Mr. Oh." he offers his other hand, almost emphasizing that he's holding Baekhyun on the other. Sehun's jaw hardens as he looks down to his hand before eventually forcing a smile. He accepts his hand, like what Chanyeol didn't do when he did this first a few nights ago.

His eyes linger on Baekhyun for a while before turning back to the Chairman.

"Is everything settled?" the Chairman asked.

"Yes, Sir. You can sit there already." he says and nods at him. His eyes found Baekhyun from time to time and they move instantly to the man beside him. He looks at their intertwined hands with a raw smile on his face, "After you, Sir."

Mr. Byun has a bright smile on his face as soon as they settle down around the table after finishing their meals. It was full of business, technicalities and shit that Baekhyun didn't even bother remembering. He was listening the whole time, or rather spacing out while nodding once in a while if needed. This will never be his forte. He absentmindedly watches a chef designing a cake with chocolate ganache from the other side of the glass wall.

If Baekhyun ever had a chance, he would want to be a pastry chef. He grew up having a sweet tooth. He used to play with clays as a child to form them like cakes. If it wasn't for their unfortunate financial status and his eagerness to earn quickly, then he might've pursued it. Growing up, he was deprived. He was hindered from so many things he truly wanted because he wasn't born lucky. Basically like that.

Until now, he still isn't lucky either.

The weather is nice and the wind is blowing since they're on the highest floor. The desserts are being served one by one and this is the only time that Baekhyun focuses on them. He tastes each one as if he's judging all of them. Chanyeol watches him while he quietly listens to the Chairman.

"So Chanyeol," the Alpha confidently leans on his chair, "wait, Chanyeol right? I can call you by the name now, can't I?" he chuckles before glancing at Baekhyun.

Chanyeol smiles.

"Of course."

"I heard you weren't originally from Seoul?"

Baekhyun stops munching his food. He doesn't make it obvious and continues to eat again even if he's trying to anticipate Chanyeol's answer. He's suddenly afraid. What if the Chairman already had them investigated?

What if he already knows?

His gaze slightly lifts up while he eats and he catches Sehun watching his movements. He looks back to his food while keeping a straight face.

"Yeah, I wasn't." Chanyeol casually answers. Though for Baekhyun who knows too much, he noticed how he got taken aback. "I'm surprised you knew."

"Oh..." the Chairman chuckles, "my colleagues have been mentioning before that Flair's heir grew up in States. I'm just recalling it now."

Chanyeol is still smiling but he suddenly seems so vigilant.

"Were you with your parents? Or...?" the Chairman asked, sounding genuinely curious. Baekhyun drinks from his glass though his eyes are watching Chanyeol. The taller still looks composed, something he wouldn't be able to do if it's him on his shoes. But that's Chanyeol. He always has everything under his control.

"I was adopted."

The Chairman is obviously astonished, judging from the way he sat straight after hearing it.

"Oh, you were?" his mouth parted when Chanyeol only nods, "You never met them?"

Chanyeol sadly smiles, looking perfectly convincing.

"I..." he gulps as if he's actually conflicted, "I didn't."

The old man slowly nods while flashing a comforting smile.

"Sorry if I had to bring it up, I didn't know." he apologizes after seeing Chanyeol looking so down, "I won't ask further."

Baekhyun shivers just by watching Chanyeol act. He got every action, every word and lie planned. Witnessing how cunning he has become, he knows Chanyeol wouldn't have let any hole in his plans. He must've already filtered all the information about him that might reach this targeted person.

The Chairman exhales a huge breath.

"I really admire the way you manage Flair, Mr. Park. I must say, you're one of the best out there and it's very rare to excel in this industry when you're that young." he nods, "I'm impressed. I do hope that Baekhyun will be able to learn a lot from you." he said before smiling at his son.

Chanyeol anticipates his next words. And so does everyone else like Baekhyun.

"And I've heard about your offer. It's a good one, I won't deny that." he pauses, "But the best I could offer you right now is companionship. Our companies will surely boost massively if we partner up, but I very much prefer to let this stand alone. I want it to be consistently known for what it has always stood for as the company I developed."

Baekhyun could see Chanyeol's fist tightening beside him. He's smiling but his eyes are darkening.

"What I want is assurance." the Chairman added.

He stares at his son before turning to look at Chanyeol again.

"I won't consider unless...there's something officially binding us together."

Baekhyun sits stiffly on his seat. From the side of his eyes, he can see Sehun looking at him right now.

"Well, that's what we came for today."

Chanyeol reaches for his hand on his lap while he holds it with his own. Baekhyun's gulps and his eyes fall on Minseok whose eyes are slightly widening now.

"Baekhyun and I have something to tell you." Chanyeol smiles, but the way his hand firmly grips his own feels so full of demand. "Babe?"

_"That's our final option. You'll know it when we finally have to use it. But I assure you we won't. I won't let it happen."_

Chanyeol's voice echoes in his head. So perfect and clear. Every word he said the first night they had this deal. It was the option he was promised they wouldn't have to use.

Baekhyun looks at Minseok who's obviously conflicted. But like him, he couldn't do anything.

"Baby?" Chanyeol grasps his hand.

"Y-Yes, uh..." he swallows the lump in his throat before looking at the Chairman who's waiting for his words.

"We w-want to tell you that..." he blinks as he tries to keep his smile, "Chanyeol and I are planning to get married."

x

"Chanyeol, I think everything's going too fast. We can think of some other way, for sure." Minseok is almost breathless when they reach the car.

Baekhyun, on the other hand, remains composed. But the way his breath hitches as he pulls the door close makes it clear how his heart shatters inside.

"There's no other way, you heard him. We'll never get what we want until there's an official union." he says sternly.

He stays quiet. He presses himself on the farthest edge of his seat while trying to garner his thoughts despite Minseok's eager voice in front.

Chanyeol...is really willing to get that far for his plans. He's willing to marry Baekhyun and use all the advantages it'll bring him. Baekhyun thought it wouldn't hurt this much before, but now that it's finally happening, it's even worse.

Thoughts of quitting finally enter his mind. He doesn't know if he's still be able to continue what he signed up for. If he's willing to be imprisoned in a marriage where he'll be constantly reminded every day that Chanyeol married him even though he doesn't love him. It has always been his worst fear growing up while seeing failed marriages. For Baekhyun, marriage has always been so sacred. And to think that they're about to throw every meaning he has for it, impels him into even deeper misery. His mind and heart are finally having battles, he never thought it will happen since he was too blinded by his love for Chanyeol.

"But this is one of our last options! We can probably think of some other way!" he pants and gazes at Baekhyun before staring at Chanyeol who's already shooting him a stare. "W-Why don't we just focus on the case first then―"

"Are you forgetting who has the final say here?" his tone effortlessly made Minseok fall into silence. "It's me. I decide whatever path this plan takes. Why are you so opposed to this, Minseok?" he asked through his sly smile but his cold eyes say otherwise.

The silence emphasizes his authority. No one dares to talk right then.

"Are you opposed to this too, Baekhyun?" he stares at Baekhyun beside him. His voice is testing.

Baekhyun purses his lips and keeps his face blank. Though his right hand clutches on his side.

"Don't you want to marry me then?" Baekhyun only looks back at him. His mouth curves when he sees his eyes slightly glistening as he tries to blink them, "Come on, you can say it."

He will not give him any signs of quitting. No matter how difficult this gets, Baekhyun has no options for himself but to move forward and continue.

"Of course. It's fine. I'll marry you, if that's what we need." Baekhyun cannot recognize his voice anymore. He doesn't stutter like how he usually does, but his tone is enough to make Chanyeol raise his brows.

"You will, huh?"

"Yes," Baekhyun smiles, "don't worry. I'll stand by our plan. I know it's only for it." he assures and it's their turn to be silent this time. "Then once I get the company and the alpha's gone, I'll give it to you. Then I'll convince everyone that I have no interest in managing it."

Minseok tightly shuts his eyes from where he sits. Chanyeol remains looking at him.

"Right then, you can do whatever you want for it. I won't meddle until you get everything you need and we can finally end the marriage." Baekhyun casually says, ignoring his twisting heart in his chest.

He's proud of himself, at least. It took a lot of courage to be this convincing. A lot of practice that he had in the same setup.

Baekhyun smiles again and nods once.

"I remember the plan, don't worry." he said before gazing back on the window with the same small smile etched on his face.

When they got inside the mansion, Baekhyun has no other plans but to go to his room and stay there the whole day. Right then, he regrets agreeing to the Chairman about taking a day off. He very much prefers to work in the office this time but he got no choice.

"Baekhyun."

He stops in the middle of the stairs, wearing his straight face as he looks behind. Chanyeol is standing at the door, seriously looking at him before turning to Minseok.

"Go back to the office now, Minseok. Tell them I'll go there later."

Minseok, who had also been silent throughout the drive, nods slowly. He shoots a quick glance at Baekhyun before walking out. Chanyeol faces him again as he steps towards him. Baekhyun keeps his gaze blank.

"What is it?"

"Aren't you going to tell them?"

Baekhyun slightly crosses his brows.

"Who?"

"Mrs. Ahn, and Yeri."

Chanyeol's usual stern and confident voice seems so reluctant and held back this time. Baekhyun looks straight at him, bewildered by the sudden mention of them.

That is the last thing he'll do.

"No." Baekhyun shakes his head, "They don't need to know."

Chanyeol purses his lips as he pauses for a while. Baekhyun waits for his next words so he could finally walk away and go to his room, but he seems so surprisingly hesitant about it.

"It's better if you tell them."

Baekhyun stands straight, slowly shaking his head.

"I won't do that. I thought we agreed to this? You said we won't involve them." he tries to hide the growing frustration in his voice but it wasn't completely concealed.

"We are not involving them."

"Then why would you insist on telling them? I don't want them to be dragged into this mess, Chanyeol!"

"Sooner or later, they will find out!" Chanyeol raises his voice as well. "You can just tell them that we've decid―"

"I will not lie to my mother and sister!"

"You are lying to them now Baekhyun!"

They both pant heavily while trying to go against each other's stare. Two helpers didn't continue walking near them when their voices raised.

"Either way, you're lying to them. What difference does it make?" Chanyeol asks, "Do you think they'll be happy to hear that you're married from someone else? Telling them isn't gonna be hard!"

"They won't hear it from someone else because I won't let it reach them!" Baekhyun snaps back, "What do you want me to do, huh Chanyeol? Make them believe that we're so in love and give them false hope? I will not do that. It will hurt them in the end and I don't ever want that to happen!"

Chanyeol clenches his jaw. Baekhyun looks at him with conviction and he wasn't able to answer anymore. Although he's still obviously against it.

Baekhyun sighs. He gulps before speaking.

"You promised. That was my only bargain in this deal, Chanyeol. I don't ever want to involve my family here so don't even start on me with this."

He walks up the stairs and goes straight to his room, almost stomping his way towards it.

He didn't try to see anyone for the rest of the day, especially Chanyeol. He didn't try going out of his room. When he fell asleep without having dinner, and from simply not doing anything, he already woke up the next morning. With his rumbling stomach, he sits up from his bed. When he looks at the clock, it's almost 9 AM. Chanyeol had probably left already.

He cusses himself when he went downstairs and he was wrong. In his suit and tie, Chanyeol is still sitting on the dining area, having his coffee. Baekhyun subtly gulps before walking past him towards the kitchen. Chanyeol doesn't move his head, though his eyes followed his movements.

Baekhyun prepares his own coffee on the kitchen counter while his back faces Chanyeol. His every movement is slow, almost hesitant to make any sound. He doesn't sit on the dining area and drinks his coffee on the kitchen counter itself. He hears a deep sigh short after, followed by Chanyeol's voice.

"Tell the driver I'm going."

A helper responds and walks out of the room to do what was told. Baekhyun slowly munches his food, staring into space while waiting for him to be completely alone.

"Sir, the car is ready." he doesn't move from his post. There's still an eerie feeling of being watched so he doesn't dare to take a quick glance. Right then, he hears the footsteps walking away. He shuts his eyes while exhaling a huge breath as he picks his food and coffee to move to the dining area.

Chanyeol seems unusual today. He couldn't pinpoint how exactly, but something about him is different.

It's almost eleven when he reached the company. When the sliding door opens, his phone vibrates in his pocket. He reaches for it and sees a message from an unknown number.

_Baekhyun, is this you?_

Baekhyun creases his brows. He doesn't have any idea about who it might be. Although Sehun warned him before to never respond to any unknown source since there will be people who can possibly reach him and use this against the chairman. And so he leaves the message unanswered as he puts the phone back in his pocket.

When he faces back in front, he almost bumps into someone. Sehun looks at him while blinking a few times as if completely not expecting his presence.

"Hey."

Baekhyun awkwardly smiles, remembering the meeting yesterday and the club fiasco last week.

"Hi..." he pursed his lips, "Sorry I just arrived now..."

Sehun slowly nods, "Is everything good?"

He doesn't like it. Sehun is obviously noticing something between him and Chanyeol. He could see the way he looks at them when they're together. Baekhyun almost feels like a puzzle trying to be solved whenever Sehun observes them.

And as much as he wants to tell him everything, Chanyeol will not be so happy about that.

"Yeah, uh..." he gulps, "Is the Chairman there? I think I need to go and see him first. I'll see you later, Sehun."

"Baekhyun," he starts off, blocking his way. Baekhyun had seen this coming, "what were you trying to tell me that night?"

He blinks as his gaze falls on the floor. He crosses his brows slightly to fake confusion.

"What?"

"I was drunk, but I remember it well." Sehun seriously answers, "You were eager to tell me something...and then Mr. Park came." there was a trace of distaste from the way the name escaped his lips.

"Really? Well...I was a bit drunk too. I can't really remember it."

Sehun seriously stares at him.

"Is he hurting you?"

Baekhyun pauses. He was taken aback by the question and Sehun takes it differently.

"Baekhyun..."

"Of course not...he isn't." he almost mumbled. Sehun is far from convinced.

"Please tell me if he's abusing you in any way."

"No, he's not." he says, more directly this time. "Why would you even think of that?"

Sehun's gaze falls on the floor before it goes back to him.

"I'm...just concerned."

Baekhyun isn't able to answer. He knows he is. But there's nothing much he can do.

"Are you really going to marry him?"

He sighs, wanting this conversation to end as it effortlessly drains all his energy as if he isn't weak enough.

"Yes, I will."

"Is he forcing you to?"

Baekhyun couldn't help frowning, "He's not. Please, Sehun. Why are you saying all of these?"

"Cause all I see in your eyes is fear Baekhyun. You look so restricted and caged whenever he's around. Do you even realize that?" he asked, his face looking sullen now.

Baekhyun exhales, emphasizing finality.

"I love him." it comes out naturally from his lips. Because despite all his pretending, this one is true. "I love Chanyeol..."

Sehun doesn't answer anymore, though his face remains looking grim.

"I'm sorry but I―" he stops when he sees the big digital calendar from the distance. "Oh god..."

Sehun looks behind him to see what he's looking at.

"What is it?"

"Chanyeol..." he gasps. Sehun turns to him again with the mention of the name. Baekhyun's lips are parted, as if he's hit by a hard realization.

"What about him?"

"I-I..." he stutters. He can't find the words to say. He couldn't even believe he forgot. How could he forget? "Sehun...I-I'm sorry but I really need to go...can you just―"

"Sorry Baekhyun, but no." Sehun seriously says, "I've already given you a few days off. And we have to go to an important meeting with the investors this afternoon―"

"Sehun...please! I really need to go, it's important―"

"No, Baekhyun, sorry." his voice is unusually stern and his eyes are cold. "I'm just receiving orders. You have to do your job or else..."

"What?" Baekhyun almost spat, "Or else what?"

Sehun shrugs, "Let's just don't let the compensations I've done for you to reach the Chairman. You are his heir, after all." he said before walking past Baekhyun.

Baekhyun swallows the lump in his throat. He hopelessly stares at the digital calendar on the wall, praying that it made a mistake.

He almost runs out of the building, slightly bumping onto different employees while he only shouts his apologies. The sky is already dark based from so many hours of agony inside. His phone is over his ear while he waits for the car to pick him up in front. His chest is heaving.

"Minseok!" he yells over the line, "Where is Chanyeol?"

_"He sent me here in Busan yesterday, Baekhyun." _he could almost hear his teeth gritting from where he is, _"That...bastard. He knew I'd remember. It took me by surprise. He made sure that I have no choice but to leave."_

"I forgot..." Baekhyun's palm is already on his face, "How could I fucking forget..."

_"Ask his employees at Flair, Baek." _he nods even when he's not being seen, _"Please make sure he's fine. I'll call my associates too for his possible whereabouts."_

Baekhyun is already hopping inside the car while panting heavily.

_"I know you'll be able to talk to him, Baek." _Minseok says, _"You're the only one who can. No one else."_

Baekhyun tears up inside the car. He hates himself. It's Chanyeol's parents' birthday. It was something he had always bragged when they were younger. That his parents were a perfect pair as they had the same day of birth. Chanyeol has always been fascinated of their relationship. This day had been a special one for them, especially for Chanyeol.

And after they died, he became a mess. But he's a bigger one whenever this day comes. It's his constant reminder of them. And Baekhyun had to watch him this day every year, being a wreck, while he couldn't do anything because Chanyeol wouldn't let him. He caged himself and didn't allow people to break his barriers down. Baekhyun was the only one who could. But two years ago, when all this shit between them happened, Chanyeol completely closed himself from him too.

He went to Flair but was immediately informed that Chanyeol left even before lunch. He asked for his possible schedule but there's none, at least nothing they could give. He really allotted this day for himself. Baekhyun couldn't even think of the stupid things he might be doing.

He called Minseok again but like him, he still doesn't have any idea about his whereabouts. Baekhyun had no choice but to go home and hope that he's there. Something in his chest feels extremely heavy. He's worried about him. Chanyeol had always gotten himself in trouble especially if he's alone. His temper had gotten worse that he picks a fight with everyone when he's drunk. Baekhyun would either get a news of him being involved in a fight, an accident or sometimes even fetched him in a police station where he had to compromise with the police and the victim to not file a case. As much as Baekhyun badly wants to help him and change his ways, how would he do that if Chanyeol wouldn't even let him?

Maybe it's one of the reasons why he doesn't leave after everything. Chanyeol needs him more than ever. Not only because of their plans but something more beyond that. He has to be here for him all the time because he always has to make sure he's fine. He has to keep trying no matter how many times he tries to push him away.

"C-Can you tell me immediately once Chanyeol arrives?" his voice breaks and he's close to tears. The helpers nod in an instant, sharing inquisitive glances to each other when Baekhyun's glistening eyes are almost pleading. "Or if he calls...j-just call me, okay?"

He used the car given to him this time. He's not used to driving since he barely used it but he couldn't afford bothering the drivers when they are clueless. He started driving around the city to look in each bars or clubs, prioritizing the ones Chanyeol had been going before. He also tried to go to private underground places that are dangerous enough to risk his safety. He bribed some of the guards to let him in but like anywhere prior to that, Chanyeol wasn't there.

Baekhyun stands in the middle of the crowded street, looking so lost while he bites his lip. There's a painful lump in his throat that wouldn't leave. He badly wants to cry.

"How long has the person been missing?"

The police nonchalantly looks at him, not even sympathetic even if Baekhyun is already close to tears in front of him.

"Um, s-since eleven in the morning? It's been a-almost thirteen hours." he gulps and strives to keep his voice solid, "Please help me..."

The man raises a brow as he looks down to his watch. He clicks his tongue and turns to Baekhyun again.

"Come back and file a report once it reaches twenty-four hours. He's not a missing person yet."

Baekhyun tried to beg him but the police only told him the same thing. He went out of the police station and the street is almost secluded. He hopelessly walks to his car, looking around in the process as if hoping to spot him there. But he isn't.

He got home a few minutes before midnight. First thing he glanced up on is Chanyeol's office window, but it's still empty as how it was before he left. The helpers delivered no good news either. He sent them to bed and told them he'll wait for him himself. In the end, Baekhyun falls on the couch in the living room. His feet hurt. He bites his lip while he looks around the empty house, preventing a sob to escape his lips. He looks at the message Minseok just sent him.

_What's the news? Did you find him, Baekhyun?_

Baekhyun gulps and hopelessly throws his phone beside him without typing a response. Where could he possible gone to? Baekhyun doesn't even want to think of the worst things.

He just wishes he would come home. And with that, his eyes close from exhaustion as soon as he lays down on the couch.

He wakes up in the middle of the night because of a terrible dream. His last thought before sleeping is also the first one to enter his mind and made him slowly open his eyes. It's already so dark around him because of the ungodly hour but he knows he isn't hallucinating when his gaze falls on the person sitting on the floor across where he is. Baekhyun blinks a few times as the thought slowly sinks in his mind. Chanyeol is staring at him intently. His eyes are bloodshot and his arms are on his folded leg while his other one weakly rests on the floor. Strands of his hair messily cover his forehead and eyes as he looks at Baekhyun through them.

Baekhyun quickly sits straight. His head is spinning from the sudden movement. He gulps the roughness in his throat as he looks at Chanyeol whose eyes are transfixed on the space he was at a while ago. The upper buttons of his clothes are open. He's also sweating, as Baekhyun can tell from the stain on his shirt. He's not injured or physically hurt but more than anything, he looks so distraught. He's disoriented. And apart from the relief he should feel because of seeing him safe, Baekhyun's heart twists in pain just by simply looking at him in this state.

He fights the urge to sit beside him on the floor and hug him tight. No words but only a hug. Yet he also wants to tell him that he's here for him. He always is.

He stands up and slowly walks to where he is. Chanyeol remains looking at the same empty space, barely blinking. Baekhyun gulps before gently reaching out for his arm as he kneels down. He wraps it around his shoulders while he blinks to keep his eyes dry while looking at Chanyeol.

"Yeol, let's go..." he mumbles. He remains on his position and Baekhyun shuts his eyes, waiting if he'll ever go ballistic and push him away but he remains motionless. "C-Come on..."

He almost thought Chanyeol wouldn't move but his feet eventually hold his weight on the floor while Baekhyun partly lifts him up to stand. He obviously had a lot of alcohol. The smell of liquor is so strong and he can barely hold his weight and stand on the ground. Baekhyun struggles to lift him up the stairs. Chanyeol is close to falling when they reach his bedroom. He completely falls on his bed, sitting on the edge while his head weakly droops down in front of him. Baekhyun looks at him while heaving.

"I'll prepare a warm bath okay? Hang in there." he walks to the bathroom and fills the bathtub with warm water. Baekhyun spaces out while he waits for it, questions enter his mind. It's also his first time entering Chanyeol's room. Usually he's ballistic whenever this day comes or he will just simply lock himself in his room and Baekhyun never knew what he was doing. Tonight is a different scenario. He lets Baekhyun hold him and accompany him. But Baekhyun had never seen him this way. He looks so lifeless. It almost seems like his soul was sucked out of his body and there's nothing more painful than that.

He wipes the tears forming on the corner of his eyes with the back of his hand. He turns the knob around to stop the water from flowing. He goes out of the bathroom and sees Chanyeol holding something in his hands. He's holding it so tight based on how his knuckles harden. Baekhyun almost gasped when he thought it's something harmful but when he gets closer, he slows down. He stops on his spot, completely wounded by the scene.

Chanyeol is tightly holding a picture of his parents. His head is still weakly drooping down and his face is blank while he stares at it. But Baekhyun can see the way his Adam's apple moves up and down. His jaw is tensed. He looks like he's keeping in something so hard and painful and Baekhyun wishes he would let it out. His expression remains straight and empty. But as his clutch on the frame tightens, Baekhyun clearly sees tears dropping on the frame.

Baekhyun blinks rapidly as he feels the warmth on both his eyes. He doesn't dare move from where he is, afraid that he might disturb Chanyeol's solemn moment. His heart is twisting so badly. He will never get used to seeing Chanyeol like this.

Chanyeol gulps before quietly placing the photo back on his side table. His fingers linger on it for a while. Baekhyun dismisses his trembling hands and walks towards Chanyeol. He gently reaches for his hand. Chanyeol glances on it and stands up on his own, still agonizingly silent. He walks to the bathroom and slips out of his clothes. Baekhyun watches him at the door. He prefers Chanyeol snarling at him, to steam off his anger at anything. He can't endure watching him like this.

He guides him into the tub so he won't slip. Chanyeol settles his bare body into the warm water. Baekhyun watches his face as he sits beside the tub. He holds the shower head while his other hand gently washes Chanyeol's back. He's like a fragile glass that can break anytime soon. Baekhyun holds him with so much care.

He stops when Chanyeol bites his lip. He looks at his face and soon enough, Chanyeol's face crumples as he breaks down. His tears continuously fall down his face and his sobs echo within the bathroom. They sound painful, as if they were kept for a really long time and they're bound to burst out. Baekhyun can't help crying too. He covers his lips with the back of his hand to keep his tears silent in order to keep Chanyeol in comfort. But it's too much for him to take.

Chanyeol really misses his parents. They were taken away from him just like that. And every day, he needs to be reminded of it just by simply seeing Baekhyun.

Baekhyun stands up and walks to the light switch and turns it off, leaving only the dimmed lamps on the bathroom sink. He takes a quick glance at Chanyeol before taking his shirt off, followed by his pants and undies. He walks back to the tub and slowly steps into the water. Baekhyun sits down and settles himself behind Chanyeol where he places both his legs on the taller's sides.

Chanyeol's breathing is still heavy, though his sobs are already faint. He's still steadily sitting despite feeling Baekhyun's skin against him. Baekhyun places both his hands on his shoulders to pull him closer to him. Their wet bodies touch as Chanyeol's back presses on him. He gulps before circling his arm around his shoulder to hold him, his other hand gently caresses on his hair.

Chanyeol's head leans on his cheek while his hand holds onto Baekhyun's arm on his chest. Baekhyun combs his hair back as his lips gently touch his ear. He feels him loosening up. The sound of him breathing against Chanyeol's ear somehow calmed him down.

Something is hardly thumping behind him where Baekhyun's chest is. Chanyeol holds him tight as he shuts his eyes. He's slowly getting sober yet being here has his head spinning wild and his heart rummaging fast. Right then, he didn't care about being himself, even just for tonight.

"Let it out..." he mumbles softly. He places a kiss on his temple when Chanyeol tilts his head towards him even more, "It's okay Chanyeol."

There are no words and no tears any longer. Just a conclusion that it really is possible to have a person calming down your storms when he's the one who brought them to you as well.


	10. 9-Maybe

The week passed in a flick of the fingers. That night didn't feel real to him, especially when Chanyeol was back to his old self the next day, not sparing him a glance as if nothing happened. Baekhyun tried telling himself that he was heavily drunk and he may not remember anything the next morning. But a part of him also tells him that it may not be as important to Chanyeol as it was to him. He kept the little memory for himself and went on, allowing it to wander in his thoughts every now and then.

Chanyeol spent the week in Berlin for a business deal. The house was emptier as if it hasn't been empty when they're both there. They walk past each other every day, but being aware of his absence apparently brings feelings of hollowness to him too. Right then, Baekhyun was thankful that he has a job to keep him distracted. After all, he's soon to be officially introduced to public and there's a lot of work for it. The Chairman wants everything perfect.

The helpers are busy on a Thursday morning since Chanyeol only came back. He also left again even before Baekhyun woke up so he was greeted by the same bunch of maids and the information that Chanyeol went directly to work without even resting from his flight. Baekhyun spaced out for a while to digest that.

When he went back upstairs to go to his room, he sees the luggage blocking the way in the hall. Baekhyun lets out a sigh. Chanyeol didn't even manage to bring his luggage in his room. He slightly rolls his eyes before grabbing it on his own and went towards his room. Unlike his office, Chanyeol's room is never locked. Although Baekhyun, like the helpers in the house, never dared to go there. Until that night from last week.

He places it on the corner of his bed. Baekhyun prepares to leave but something caught his eyes. He walks back to the bed and sees a piece of paper. When he reaches for it, something in his chest clenches.

_Chanyeollie,_

_Since you said you won't be able to call this week, I'm sending you this letter instead. Get used to it. You know you've got a boyfriend who's sweet and crafty (and cheesy). I'll be writing to you more whenever you're busy so expect pastel-colored envelopes in your mailbox by then. ^^;_

_Anyway, Appa has started his therapy. He can finally raise his arm and signal us with basic response like yes or no! ^o^ He still laughs at my jokes even when it's hard. I love him. He smiles when I tell him about you too. He misses you. Eomma misses you, and Yeri._

_I hope you're doing well. Call me once you can, or much better, send me a letter too. (Use blue or purple envelopes if you may) I'll like it even better._

_I miss you more than ever._

_Much love,_

_Your Baek_

He tries to blink the warmth on his eyes. He can perfectly remember when and how he wrote this. There are little emojis that used to be the closest things he could use to convey his overflowing emotions. There's a small smile on his face despite having to hurt himself again by reading another one. This one is in a lilac colored envelope, but Baekhyun immediately remembers the content of this. He grits his teeth and straightens it with his hands.

_Chanyeol,_

_I don't know where to start, but please tell me if I did something wrong? Why aren't you calling anymore? What were you trying to tell me when we last talked?_

_Appa isn't getting any better. We had to rush him to the hospital. Eomma had to take medication too because of her blood pressure and heart rate. I don't know where this is going but I just need you._

_Please don't leave me right now. I'm on the edge of losing my mind, Chanyeol...Just tell me whatever I've done and if I hurt you, then I'm sorry. I just really need you now._

_Please respond._

_Baek_

Baekhyun swallows the huge lump in his throat. He tries to hold his tears back but miserably failed. There are only two letters opened on the bed. He looks at the bedside table and sees a bunch of them, all his letters, tied in a rubber and still sealed. The letters that contained his happiness and misery, those he chose to share with Chanyeol until the end, were all unread and ignored all this time.

He didn't open the sealed ones, although his eyes lingered on them for a while, as if remembering each of them and the words written there. Even the two letters that were opened were a lot different. It just goes to show how bittersweet everything has been for the past ten years.

But then again, he realized that he stopped being so important to Chanyeol for so long now. It's not a surprise if he never bothered opening all his letters. But Baekhyun left the room feeling so worthless. The feeling slowly crawls in his chest and digs a hole in it as if it isn't wrecked enough.

With his face slightly crumpled into a frown, Baekhyun arrived in the company with no intentions of interacting to anyone. He began working on the pile of work he left for resting for a few days, which didn't really feel like a rest at all. He heard that the Chairman left earlier today for a meeting and was looking for him. Out of the blue, Baekhyun is suddenly feeling so hostile to him again. Maybe because of the wounds reopening from the happenings recently. Nonetheless, the slight warmth he felt for his supposed biological father has completely gone back to animosity. And he wishes he won't have to bump into him soon.

He's busy reading an important file when his phone vibrates on the table. His gaze falls on it and sees the same unknown number that was texting him a few days ago. He clicks his tongue before letting it stop on its own without picking it up.

The phone beeps again, flashing a message on his screen this time.

_Baekhyun, if this is you, then pls answer? We need to talk asap_

He narrows his eyes and thinks about the possible sender again. Why won't he just tell him who he or she is? Baekhyun is tired of this guessing game.

He's quietly staring at the phone, on the edge of spacing out.

"Mr. Byun?"

He flinches on his seat and looks around. One of the women on the executive's front desk is smiling at him on the door. Baekhyun raises his brows.

"Do you need coffee or anything?"

Baekhyun immediately shakes his head.

"No, thanks Gunhee." he picks the phone on the table, "By the way, did the Chairman leave a file for me to review?"

"Ah, yes. It's in his office. Should I bring it for you?"

He smiles, "No, I'll get it myself. Thanks though."

He stays for a while after she left to finish the last few papers he had to read and study. Right then, he walks out of his office to go to the Chairman's. He smiles to anyone who greets him at the top floor. After turning his head to look around the hall carefully, he quickly goes inside the office and makes his way towards the table.

Baekhyun looks at the door every now and then to check if someone's coming. He kneels on the floor and begins to go through his drawers. His heart beats fast against his chest. He needs to find something valuable and relevant for the case. He heaves in frustration when most of the drawers are locked. He goes through the unlocked ones and looks inside every folder. There's nothing but contracts and investment deals. He skims further and reaches for a brown folder. Inside are older files but still readable.

_Certificate of Ownership; 5,162 hectares of Property in Gangwon_

There's a lot more like that. They only differ in terms of places. There's one for South Chungcheong, Gyeonggi and more places the corporation has expanded. Thousands of hectares of land and properties are under the name of the Alpha himself. Baekhyun looks further for the place he's looking for and stops when something finally caught his eyes.

_Transfer of Ownership; 3,684 hectares of land in Suncheon, South Jeolla_

_From – Park Chanwoo_

Baekhyun reads the following words, his breath hitching.

"What are you doing?"

His hands trembled and closed the folder by instinct. Sehun stands right at the door, watching him with furrowed brows.

"What are you doing there?"

Baekhyun subtly organizes the pile of folders on the floor without looking away from Sehun. He smiles and slowly puts them back in the drawer. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

"Well, I w-was looking for the file I have to review?" he licks his lip and pushes the drawer close with his knees without drawing suspicion. He scratches his nape, "I was told it's here but I couldn't find it." he said without blinking to look more convincing.

Sehun looks at him warily before walking towards the table. Baekhyun unconsciously clasps his hands on his back while watching him. He gulps from where he is, especially when Sehun begins looking through the files on the table.

He looks at Baekhyun and their eyes met. Baekhyun looks straight at him with a timid smile on his face, convincing enough to conceal his nervousness.

Sehun walks to the file shelf on the side and looks into it. After a while, he pulls something out of it and faces Baekhyun. He hands him the file for him to review. His eyes still imply something but Baekhyun chooses to act casual and dismiss it completely, pretending he's distracted by the file on his hands.

"Thanks a lot, I almost thought I won't find it."

Sehun nods.

"No worries, just ask me anytime if you need to find something here." he says, eyes glancing on the drawer he was looking through a while ago. "And the Chairman never puts new files in his drawers."

Baekhyun has his mouth ajar while nodding.

"Ah, I see." he smiles, "I'll keep that in mind."

Sehun only nods again. His eyes lingered on Baekhyun before putting his hands in his pockets.

"You still need anything?"

Baekhyun gets back to his senses and starts walking away.

"Actually, I'm going back to my office to study these." he eagerly says and walks out quicker, "Thanks again!"

As soon as he steps outside, he sees a man walking towards the hall to the elevator. Baekhyun narrows his eyes, his heart thumping from an unknown reason. He lets his feet take him to where the man is going. He feels something odd. Like his being knows who this is and he has to make sure of it.

Baekhyun's pace becomes slower when he reaches the hall. The man is already walking a few meters ahead of him, his back still facing him. Baekhyun crosses his brows and tries to recognize him from where he is. He steps slowly. And when the man is finally close to reaching the elevator, Baekhyun steps faster.

The man steps inside and he's still in the middle of the hall. Even from where he stands, he can finally see his face. Baekhyun's eyes slowly widen along with the closing of the elevator. The man lifts his face up in the middle of the closing space and he managed to get a glimpse of his smile. Baekhyun froze on where he is when the elevator completely closed. His mind couldn't take too much information at the moment.

But he sure knows who it was.

Right then, Baekhyun steps back and prepares to run towards the stairs. He began running when he bumps into someone's chest again.

"I'm sorry! I need t-to―"

"Baekhyun, what is it?" Sehun asks immediately when he sees him looking like he just saw a ghost. A ghost from the past, maybe. "What happened?"

"Not now, Sehun, please! I need to go!"

He almost ran but Sehun caught his arm again.

"What did you see? It may be dangerous Baekhy―"

"Let go of me!" Baekhyun pushes him away and runs towards the other elevator who opens immediately. He presses the button despite knowing that he may not be able to catch him because of the delay he had from Sehun. Baekhyun grits his teeth and uneasily stands in the elevator.

It was Attorney Jang. It's been so long since he saw his face but he knows it's him. He's sure.

He needs to gain evidence or show it to Chanyeol.

When the elevator opens at the ground floor, Baekhyun is greeted by the sight of different people. He roams around and looks everywhere but he can't seem to spot the man. He breathes heavily, certain that he already left and he wasn't able to run after him.

His phone vibrates in his pocket again. This time, he doesn't look at the screen and absentmindedly puts it over his ear. He's still preoccupied with what he saw that the shock soon to follow was too much for him to take.

_"Baekhyun?" _he hears a very familiar voice, _"Please tell me it's you."_

Baekhyun blinks in surprise. He holds the phone tight in his hand.

"Jongdae?"

_"Finally!" _he hears the relief in his voice and he can't seem to do the same. _"I thought you're never going to answer me!"_

"I-I..." it felt like another wave after the other as people from his old life began showing up again. "I didn't know it was you..."

He misses his bestfriend. He knows he hurt Jongdae when he suddenly left, so he never bothered staying in contact again. After all, he didn't want to involve him into this either. But now that Baekhyun finally hears his voice again, he feels so happy. Except that he also wishes it isn't this wrong timing.

_"You have a lot of explaining to do, Mister."_

His voice is stern, but Baekhyun can also hear the happiness radiating from it. As if they missed one another equally.

"Sorry Dae..." he sighs, "But now is not really the right time. I'll just―"

_"Of course now is not the right time!" _he exclaims from the other line. _"Baekhyun, I'm calling you now because your mother is here! She pleaded to tag along when she knew I'm going to Seoul. I think she's on her way to Chanyeol now!"_

Baekhyun wasn't able to move from where he stands.

"W-Wait...what?"

She can't be...

_"I told her I'll go with her but she suddenly left on her own." _Jongdae is obviously worried too, _"Please go there now. I'm worried about her."_

He couldn't feel his fingers throughout the ride. They were so cold. Thoughts are entering his mind nonstop, about what could've happened or what's about to happen. Either way, he knows he won't ever want his mother to be in trouble. She's never been to this huge and dangerous city, especially on her own. Whatever her reason might be, it must be a crucial one to have her going all the way here.

Baekhyun prays he'll catch her before she sees Chanyeol.

She can't talk to Chanyeol. Not in this situation.

He decides to call Minseok to ask. He knows he can trust him. He might be following orders from Chanyeol but he's still a friend to Baekhyun.

"Minseok," he hears him hum from the other line as a response, unaware that it'll be a serious matter. "I need your help."

_"Huh? Why?" _he's obviously munching while talking. Baekhyun looks at his watch and it is past 12. He shuts his eyes, it's really a wrong timing.

"Are you out?" he asks calmly, even when his nerves are already trembling. "Where is Chanyeol?"

_"Yeah, I'm eating outside." _he says and Baekhyun knew he wouldn't be able to help instantly. _"Chanyeol was left in the office before I went out. What's wrong?"_

Baekhyun is silent for a little while. Minseok can only hear his heavy breathing.

_"Hey, you're freaking me out."_

"My mother is here." he says, voice filled with worry. "She's on her way to Chanyeol...or maybe she's already there. She can't talk to him, Minseok."

Minseok doesn't answer immediately. It almost seems like he choked with his food before he could retaliate.

_"What?!" _he coughs soon after, _"I'm going back!"_

"I'm almost there." Baekhyun tries to look outside despite the tinted window, "Come back quick...I'm hanging up." he said and ended the call when the car parked in front of the building.

He almost jumped out of it and ran up the stairs. When he reached the main door, a sea of people surrounded him. He looks around carefully, spotting anyone that may be his mother. Baekhyun suddenly thought about the first time he went here. He wasn't easily permitted to go and talk to Chanyeol. He honestly wishes that the same thing happened to his mother now. He'd rather have her come back to Jongdae.

He looks at the front desk and there's a lot of people coming by. He still couldn't spot her. Maybe she hasn't arrived yet. Or maybe she chose to go home. Either way, Baekhyun would be relieved as long as she's safe and she knows nothing.

He eventually relaxed. As he began feeling the relief in his chest, the employees on the corner started greeting and bowing to someone who got out of the elevator. And even if Baekhyun clearly knows who it is, he remained on his post, waiting to see him clearly without anyone blocking his way.

Baekhyun blinks a few times before Chanyeol comes to his sight. His eyes met Baekhyun and he also stopped on his tracks. Unlike any other time, Chanyeol's eyes have a bit of softness in them right now. And before Baekhyun could even move from his spot, a petite woman follows behind him. His breath hitched.

The woman looks back at him, her eyes that are naturally warm are suddenly overpowered by pain. She looks at Baekhyun like she's so betrayed, and it's enough to crash him into pieces.

"Eomma..." Baekhyun bites his lip.

His mother turns to Chanyeol. There's a forced smile on her face.

"Thank you for letting me speak to you, Chanyeol..." she touches his arm and Chanyeol flashes a sincere smile. "I should go now."

Baekhyun shakes his head but no words came out of his lips. She already knows. By the way she looks at him, she knows it.

Chanyeol glances at Baekhyun before facing her again.

"Please let my driver send you to Jongdae's house."

"E-Eomma."

Baekhyun's voice breaks but his mother doesn't spare him another glance. She gulps as she tries to maintain the smile on her face.

"N-No, I'll be going straight to the terminal." Baekhyun blinks rapidly to keep his eyes dry. "Thank you very much, Chanyeol-ah. I'm happy to see you again."

She looks down and Baekhyun can see how much she's hurt. Because of him.

"And I'm sorry...to h-have bothered you..." she stutters, her words implying something. "I should go now..."

She remains looking at the floor as she walks past Baekhyun. Baekhyun bites his trembling lip before looking at Chanyeol with his questioning eyes. Chanyeol looks at him, as if not knowing what to say.

Baekhyun clenches his jaw before running outside after his mother. She's slowly walking away, almost weakly. Baekhyun manages to catch her pace and stand right in front of her.

"Eomma, p-please...listen to me first."

She refuses to stop, or even look at him.

"Go back to your job, Baekhyun." she says with indifference. "Or your company."

"I d-didn't tell you...b-because I was afraid. I don't want to lose you a-and Yeri, Eomma."

His mother looks at him. He can clearly see now how tears pool in her eyes.

"You didn't think I would understand?"

Baekhyun cries in front of her. No words dare to come out. He couldn't say anything that can possibly justify what he did.

Chanyeol follows outside and sees this. He stays on the top of the stairs and prefers not to meddle.

"How could you get yourself into this trouble, Baekhyun?" she asks, "Did you really think about us? Or only yourself?"

Baekhyun shakes his head, his face still crumpled and stained with tears.

"You knew what would be my take on this and you dismissed it. Even if it would be for your sake." she gulps, "Don't say you cared about us."

Baekhyun tries to talk between his sobs, "I did this because it is r-right! I'm helping them to get the justice they―"

"Don't say it." his mother shakes her head while gritting her teeth, "Stop."

"M-Mom..."

"You did this for yourself." she says, "A-And the idea that you have to be involved in something you shouldn't be. Remember? It's you who choose what you do, and who you hurt in the process. That's w-what your father always told you." it becomes a whisper, "No one...not even Chanyeol brought you here. It's your choice, Baekhyun. You chose this."

The car Chanyeol ordered to be used is now stopping in front of them. Baekhyun holds her arm and looks at her with pleading eyes while still sobbing like a child.

"E-Eomma..." he weakly sits while grasping her arm. "Y-You're the o-only one I have..."

"I'm happy you finally found your real family and life, Baekhyun." his mother said as he tries to untangle his hand around her arm, "Don't think about us anymore. We're fine."

Baekhyun looks up to her and shakes his head, "But y-you're my family..."

His mother shakes her head, "We were." she said before finally pulling her hand away to walk towards the car. Baekhyun cries harder as he calls for her name, even when the car already drove away from where he sits.

The sobs continuously escape his lips. His eyes are blurry from the tears pooling in them. Baekhyun covers his face with his palm, struggling to wipe his face dry. Right then, he hears footsteps walking towards him behind. Baekhyun grits his teeth as he stands up, his eyes bloodshot.

"W-What did you do?" he asks before sniffing. He steps back when Chanyeol takes a step forward, "I told you! I fuckingtold you not to tell her!"

"Listen to me first!"

"How dare you?! T-That was my only wish..." he shoves his hands away and pushes his chest with his might, "You can't even keep your fucking word! You could've j-just let me tell her myself!"

"She was begging, Baekhyun." Chanyeol explains, opposite to how frantic he is. "She's pleading me to tell her the truth. About what's keeping you here. I can't lie to her."

"Well are you happy now?!" Baekhyun yells again. His face is red and people from the distance are looking at them but didn't dare to come any closer, "You've ruined...e-everything for me. A-Are you happy, Chanyeol?"

Chanyeol shuts his eyes. When he opens them again, they're filled with something he fails to point out.

"You know that's never my intention."

Baekhyun shakes his head, still sobbing. He lets his hands cover his face.

"T-They were the only ones I have..." he mumbles against his hands, "How c-could you..."

Chanyeol opens his mouth to speak but he wasn't able to utter any word. Before he could even try again, Baekhyun already ran away from him.

He woke up with a throbbing head and a sound of continuous knocks on the door. Baekhyun groans when he's met by the darkness in his room. Once he opens his eyes, he automatically recalls everything that happened that day. His heart twists in pain but it's tiring to cry again.

The knocking stops. He sits up from his bed and dismissed the pain in his head for sleeping the whole afternoon. He finally stands up to turn the lights on and he also got a glimpse of the time on the wall. He remembers how he reached his room from all the running and crying he did and fell asleep right after that.

Damn, he sure has a lot of explaining to do to the Chairman once he comes back. Sehun has surely spilled all the unfinished shifts he had for the week.

Baekhyun is spacing out when someone knocks again. This time it's a lot more eager. He can definitely tell who it was even before he speaks.

"Baekhyun, open the door."

He chuckles sneeringly. He lays back to his bed and glares into space.

"Baekhyun." the voice says again. He can tell he's growing more impatient, "I know you can hear me."

"Yeah, and fuck you." Baekhyun hisses under his breath. Baekhyun made sure he's the only one who heard it but it seems like Chanyeol knew very well what he's retaliating.

"You're not really going to talk to me properly, aren't you?" his voice made Baekhyun frown even more. Yet he clutches tighter on his pillow, "I'm getting the keys."

"My keys are all here!"

He couldn't help yelling back. He can hear Chanyeol's hard cussing at the other side of the door.

"I'm gonna fucking destroy this door then."

Baekhyun glares at the door, as if he can see him through. His chest is heaving. He knows he'll do it if he wants too.

"Baekhyun!"

"Go away!"

He hears a loud thump against his door. He sits up from his bed and stares at it, his heart thumping wildly.

He hears a loud sigh outside, "Fine. Starve yourself goddammit."

Baekhyun glares at the door even when he heard the footsteps walking away. He will really starve himself. That's what he'll do.

x

The next day came and he had an established plan on how he'll escape Chanyeol the whole day. He smiled victoriously when he successfully did it in the morning. He went to the office unusually early that the staffs widened their eyes when they arrived and he's already working. Sehun was also obviously taken aback when he saw him in his office very early. Although they didn't exchange words.

He'll finish early and he'll go home early. He'll get himself stocks of food to hide in his room, in that way he'll never have to starve himself to avoid Chanyeol.

Sounds like a plan.

But when his car drives inside the mansion in the afternoon of that day, his plan crumbles and was thrown into the bin when he saw that Chanyeol's cars are complete and parked inside. He mutters a bunch of curse. Baekhyun remains in the car, contemplating whether he should leave again but Chanyeol has surely heard of his arrival. He exhales a huge breath and went out with his cold expression.

Even before he could step inside, he's already hearing a voice of a woman from the living room. He can hear her laughter and the deep voice of the man he badly wants to avoid. Baekhyun's steps are quick, hoping that they won't be able to notice his presence but Chanyeol has his gaze anticipating at the door.

"Baekhyun."

He mumbles an almost silent _shit. _He stops and faces them with his raised brows. Chanyeol looks at him seriously while beside him is a young woman with her straight hair falling perfectly on her shoulders. She's in her heels and tight dress while she's beaming brightly at Baekhyun.

He almost squinted his eyes.

"Oh you weren't lying about him!" she excitedly said and pats Chanyeol's arm. Baekhyun finds her voice quite irritating. Maybe not just her voice...and maybe not just quite.

Chanyeol clears his throat. "Baekhyun, this is Jennie. She's a wedding planner." the last few words echoed in his head, "Jen, this is my fiancé, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun purses his lips. _Jen, huh?_

"Hi!" she extends her arm to offer a handshake in which Baekhyun stares at first before reluctantly accepting it, "Ah...you look even better in person! Chanyeol has been telling me about you."

Baekhyun only nods with a timid smile on his face.

"I'm so shocked when Chanyeol told me you're getting married! All this time, it's still you." she said with the same smile on her face.

Baekhyun blinks and glances at Chanyeol who's not looking at him.

"You guys are so strong. I admire you." she adds.

"Jennie's my...schoolmate in college." Chanyeol said and it all made sense to Baekhyun. _The good old days. _"She'll organize the wedding."

Baekhyun wants to laugh. So they're really preparing for this, huh? What is this, some kind of a high-budget play pretend?

Chanyeol sees the humor in his eyes. He sighs and turns to Jennie instead.

"I'd like you to know everything he likes and apply it to the event. You can talk―"

"No. Actually...it's better if you guys talk." Baekhyun butts in with the same smile, "The wedding details are completely up to you, Chanyeol. Everything's fine for me."

The smile on Jennie's face slightly fades. Chanyeol clenches his jaw this time.

"So if you'll excuse me." Baekhyun fakes a smile before walking up the stairs and to his room.

Chanyeol faces Jennie, who's awkwardly smiling. "I'm so sorry for that. Can you wait here for a while?" the girl nods reassuringly. His smile fades when he walks up the stairs.

Baekhyun just closed his door when someone knocks on it again. He rolls his eyes before turning around to open it again. His face shows his distaste when he sees Chanyeol standing outside. They stare at each other for a while, as if both challenging. Chanyeol lets out a huge sigh of exhaustion.

"Why are you being like this? She's a visitor."

"What?" he says, "I just told her it's up to you."

"It's your wedding too." Chanyeol says as if he's having a hard time explaining it, "Can you at least be more considerate?"

"Please." Baekhyun groans, "I'm acting rationally, Chanyeol. You want this wedding. It's for your benefit. I'm agreeing to it. Why do you have to force me into the preparation as well? We can even get married tomorrow if you like, I don't get all this preparation as if it will last!" he says spitefully.

Chanyeol stares at him, his chest heaving.

"You're being so difficult right now, Baekhyun."

"Then leave me the fuck alone!"

"If this is about yesterday then..." Chanyeol's hand is on his own waist while the other combs his hair in frustration, "_Fuck_, I'm sorry, okay?" he hissed as if it was very hard to say.

Baekhyun stares at him. His lips are pursed into a thin line but he blinks in awe.

"What? You'll just look at me?" Chanyeol's brows furrowed in disbelief when Baekhyun only stayed silent, "I said I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done it!"

Baekhyun gulps. He refused to believe he's hearing it right.

"Oh you are?"

Chanyeol sighs, "Damn it, Baekhyun―"

He closes the door right in front of his face, not allowing him to even reach the middle of his sentence.

x

Alright, maybe he's overreacting.

Chanyeol has always been a jerk. It's given. But with these circumstances, Baekhyun eventually realizes he's at fault too. If his mother indeed begged for the truth, then he shouldn't blame Chanyeol for saying it.

Still...

_"That's why we need to meet, like ASAP." _his voice still has the same sass like it had before. Baekhyun smiles, _"I really need to strangle you 'til you come to your wits."_

"Yeah," Baekhyun lets out a loud yawn that earned him a hiss from the other line, "but now I really need to sleep. You've been talking nonstop and I thought I was the one who needed to tell a lot."

_"Well because you deprived me of this right for years! Pay for it!" _he laughs, _"Anyways, good night. Tell Chanyeol he's a prick."_

"He knows it..." Baekhyun lazily grins, "Night, Dae."

Like the past days of the week, Baekhyun checks his inbox again, expecting a single reply from a bunch of texts he sent to his sister. And like any other nights, there's none.

He contemplates for a while. He thought he's already sleepy but now he feels like he needs to do something to remove this guilt from his chest.

He's been hostile to Chanyeol for days even after his apology (which seemed to be a little harsh for an apology). The maids will tell him whenever Chanyeol's done eating or if he already left so he can finally eat his beloved meals without having their paths cross. Little did he know that they were told to do so. Whenever he walks past him, he would see him looking at him. Though he'll look away unapologetically once he's caught. Nevertheless, Chanyeol didn't say sorry again.

Maybe they're both pricks.

He stands in front of the door of his room. He hasn't heard anything from Chanyeol today yet aside from the arrival of his car a while ago. Baekhyun lifts his fist to knock but brings it down again. He bites his lip. He won't say sorry...of course. Maybe he'll just let him know that he will finally cooperate with Jennie for the wedding. Even if she really annoys him.

That simple.

He knocks four times and expects to see Chanyeol in front of him soon after since he isn't in his office. But Baekhyun knocks and it's once again ignored. His palm started sweating. Maybe this isn't a good idea.

Though here he is, twisting the knob in his hand. It surprisingly opens, given the fact that Chanyeol always locks his room when he's here as if he's doing illegal business inside. Now, Baekhyun is actually stepping inside it. The smell of musk enthralls his nose. It's dark like how it was when he sent him here weeks ago. He hears the sound of water inside the bathroom. And Baekhyun, being the nosy boy he is, walks towards the table where he saw his letters days ago. They're still there, but unlike before, not only two from them are opened.

He wanted to walk closer to them but the sound of splashing water stops. He froze from where he is, preparing himself to be caught sneaking inside Chanyeol's room. But after a moment of complete silence, he hears a faint grunt coming from the bathroom.

He blinks from where he is. The sound gets louder and he can clearly visualize where it must be coming from.

Baekhyun pants through his mouth. He can feel his face heating up and his temples sweating.

It's been a while since Chanyeol touched him. And hearing how sinful this is right now makes him forget that he should be holding himself back. But Baekhyun is suddenly so...hard just by hearing his moan alone.

_"Ah..."_

He's out of his mind. He can once again hear Jongdae snorting somewhere. _He's a prick but you're so fucking horny for him now._

Baekhyun slowly twisted the knob of the bathroom door. Chanyeol probably thinks he's seriously mad that he wouldn't let him touch him, let alone go near him that's why he's doing the work by himself. Of course Baekhyun is mad, but he's in need as well.

What a fucking mess.

"F-Fuck..." Chanyeol grunts huskily while standing under the shower. His hand is slowly touching himself under. Baekhyun can't stop watching between the door. A pain in his pants started growing along with the pain of agony inside him.

Baekhyun slips himself between the small opening of the door. Chanyeol's back is still facing him, unaware that he's already walking towards the shower. He lets his presence be known when he shamelessly steps inside the shower while still fully clothed. Chanyeol almost flinched when he sees him, but he didn't have the time to be embarrassed when Baekhyun kneels in front of him, taking his cock in his hand before letting it in his mouth. He didn't mind him or his clothes getting wet.

"B-Baekhyun..." Chanyeol drowsily moans. He needed to hold onto the glass nearby as the tip reaches Baekhyun's throat. His mouth parted while ragged breaths come out of it. Baekhyun looks up to him and bobs his head even deeper.

"Fuck, a-ah...yes." his hand tugs on Baekhyun's locks, moving along his head as he takes him in deeper, so warm, so well and sinful.

Baekhyun makes a gagging sound when Chanyeol twitches inside his mouth. He soon feels a warm liquid inside mouth, along with Chanyeol's deeper and louder grunts.

He swallows it completely without taking his eyes off him. Chanyeol's eyes are burning with lust and everything beyond as he pulls him up from the floor and takes off every bit of clothing he has, almost ripping them in the process. Baekhyun leans to his lips with impatience but Chanyeol won't let him until he's fully naked in front of him. His mouth eventually found its way to Baekhyun, kissing him hard and deep and breathing against it.

Chanyeol has always been patient about everything, given that he runs something huge in the industry. But all his patience goes to waste when it comes to Baekhyun. His hands, his lips and all his being are keen to get a hold of him whenever he's near. He feels like a man possessed, and it is Baekhyun's fault.

Baekhyun gasps for breath when Chanyeol goes down to his neck. He feels the water from the shower pouring down on them, making it harder to breathe. Chanyeol sucks on his chest, down to his nipple while his hand holds to his shoulder. Chanyeol's hand traces on his rim, his lips locking back to his own when he finally finds it.

"Ah..." he grunts when he felt the cold wall on his back. Chanyeol bites his lip before effortlessly lifting him up by his bottom. His body has gotten bigger and tougher from all the working out he's been doing and now is the only time Baekhyun gets to realize that and feel it on his own. He holds on his toned arms and automatically wraps his legs around his waist when Chanyeol pins him harder to the wall to hold his weight.

"_Agh_―Chanyeol!" he screams in both pain and bliss when Chanyeol enters him completely. His head hits the wall behind him as Chanyeol thrusts harder, his leg almost falls on the ground while Chanyeol keeps the other one up to go deeper. Baekhyun breathes through his mouth as the water falls on them. His breath is hitching from the intensity and the cold water dropping on his face. He holds tighter onto his shoulders while Chanyeol crashes their lips again, his tongue devouring Baekhyun's mouth like his own.

"Fuck..._ah_ yes! Ah!" Chanyeol is wildly huffing onto his neck, whispering words and a few cusses. Baekhyun's skin slides up and down the slippery wall as Chanyeol thrusts in with more force. His nails are digging on the skin of his shoulders as his cock twitches below. Right then, he cums on their stomachs that is quickly washed off by the flowing water.

The exhaustion Baekhyun felt a while ago came back to him. His weight feels heavier and his eyes are drooping down. He hears the shower being turned off before Chanyeol lifts him by his bum again, his cock slipping out of his hole as he holds him around the waist while Baekhyun hugs him like a child. His legs are wrapped around him. With his eyes closed, he feels Chanyeol stepping out of the shower. He grabs some towels on the side and goes out of the bathroom towards his bed.

Baekhyun hasn't fully recovered yet when Chanyeol places his dripping wet body on the bed. His eyes met Chanyeol's gaze that is directed at him. Chanyeol spreads his legs apart and lifts his waist up. He lets his cock slip in between the cheeks of his ass towards his rim. Baekhyun shuts his eyes close when Chanyeol fills him again. His big arms are on the both sides of Baekhyun's head, holding his weight as he thrusts harder.

"Ah..." he clutches the sheet underneath as he feels something building inside him again. It makes it harder to believe that he's indeed right here. Chanyeol's fucking him in his room, on his bed. Baekhyun wants to pinch himself.

The water from Chanyeol's hair is dripping on him. Their bodies are still wet, making it easier for Chanyeol to move in and out of him.

"B-Baek..." Chanyeol breathes against his cheek as feels his peak nearing, "Oh, Baek..."

He gives a few vigorous thrusts before reaching his orgasm and spurting it inside him. Baekhyun's eyes tear up when he reaches his own. Chanyeol's weight falls on his body, his nose is touching Baekhyun's cheek. Baekhyun closes his eyes and only their labored breaths are audible.

Baekhyun knows he ought to leave. He should just wait 'til he recovers then slip out from here and go back to his room.

But he feels a dry towel wiping on his hair. It rests there before he feels the slightly damped comforter covering his nakedness. Right then he feels an arm on his waist and a warm breathing on the side of his neck.

Baekhyun opens his eyes and lets them stare into the completely darkness. He can still feel them, the coldness from their wet bodies and the warm breath against him. His lips curve into a small smile until his eyes feel heavy again.

Maybe this isn't real. Maybe, he'll wake up tomorrow, on his own bed and in the clothes he was wearing from last night.

Or maybe, he'll wake up with Chanyeol's arm on his waist and his leg tangled around him while the sunrays hit his sleeping face.

Just...maybe. Either way, he likes this dream a lot.


	11. 10-Witness

Actually, _no_. He woke up with a dreadful pain all over his body the next day.

The first movement of his arm sent the pain running all over his limbs and though it was terrible, he immediately recalls every detail from last night including where he currently is. Even without opening his eyes, this doesn't smell like his room at all.

Judging from the lightness of his head, he can tell that he had a long and good sleep. He's partly surprised that Chanyeol didn't wake him up early in the morning to kick him out of there. He wouldn't even be surprised if ever Chanyeol was drunk again. _Too drunk to have sex with him in his room, maybe?_

But Baekhyun soon realizes that Chanyeol wouldn't do it because...now he can still feel him beside where he is. Baekhyun doesn't dare to open his eyes when he can clearly feel his stable breathing on his shoulder and his heavy hand on his tummy. He hasn't woken up yet.

Now how is he supposed to completely get up and leave?

Baekhyun tilts his head to his other side so he can open his eyes without being caught. His eyes land on the bedside clock and indicated with red and flashy screen are the numbers 8:37. Chanyeol is late compared to how he usually leaves the house. Maybe...Chanyeol had a good sleep too, if it's safe to assume.

He weighs his possible movements and the way he breathes against his skin. When he's certain he's still in deep slumber, Baekhyun faces back to his side to look at him. Chanyeol's eyes are still closed, his lips are pursed yet slightly protruded. His usually furrowed brows are relaxed like the rest of his features.

His nose is slightly touching his shoulder since he's curled up to his side while facing Baekhyun. Even in his sleep, his hand still puts pressure on Baekhyun's stomach, almost looking like he's not allowed to leave. Baekhyun feels a warmth inside his chest. Although it becomes too much that it eventually turns a little painful.

Chanyeol still looks so peaceful when he sleeps.

Did he get the chance to hug him while they were sleeping? Was he able to do it like before, where he would place his forehead on his chin in the midst of the tight embrace? Or bury his face on his chest? Did he get the chance to listen to his heartbeat―on his peaceful state and not when he's clouded by anger whenever he sees Baekhyun?

He shouldn't have slept. He could've done it all again when he had the chance. He's dying to do it all again.

Baekhyun stares at him with his heaving chest. He looks at his hand on his tummy and tries to figure out how he should remove it without waking him up. In the middle of contemplating, Chanyeol shifts a bit on his side, making him close his eyes again and do his best to act convincingly.

The movements are followed, and soon the hand on him is gone. He feels the weight beside him becoming light. Baekhyun tries to keep his eyelids relaxed so he won't blink.

He expected him to wake him up and tell him it is time to leave. But he can still feel Chanyeol sitting beside him and he doesn't have any idea what's taking him so long. Baekhyun is holding his breath.

After a while, he feels the emptiness beside him as the bed shifts. Right then, he hears Chanyeol's footsteps walking to the bathroom, followed by the sound of the shower inside. Baekhyun opens his eyes and exhales the breath he's been keeping in. He silently picks up a towel to cover his body and makes his way out of the room without any plans on seeing him again today.

And then he thought it would be another normal day. For some reason, Baekhyun feels like seeing the Chairman. He hasn't seen him in a while because of his numerous business trips. Baekhyun began making some decisions for the company and it still scares him as much as it did thinking about it before. He always thinks he'll mess things up. Sehun guides him every now and then, even if he became a little too professional that made Baekhyun so uneasy around him.

Still, the Chairman trusts him too much to let him handle things. And truth be told, he's beginning to feel guilty about it. Even if it's what he came here for.

He sees Baekhyun as his son, and Baekhyun can never feel the same warmth towards him when he knows about everything he had contributed to his misery today. He may be his son, but he'll never be a father to him. He only had one father, and he's gone.

From the hall where he's walking, the girl behind the front desk watches him in anticipation. He looks at her with a formal smile on his lips. When he gets closer, she immediately bows.

"The Chairman?"

"Oh, sorry Sir...he's currently speaking with a visitor."

Baekhyun's eyes rounded in confusion.

"And...I'm not allowed to go in?"

He used a tone that will emphasize his place and role. He knew he succeeded when the employee looks down while gulping.

"H-He may not want to be disturbed, Sir..."

"Oh, I won't disturb." Baekhyun flashes a smile, "I'll just come in to say hi. I haven't seen my father for a while." the word felt so foreign when it escaped his lips.

The woman still looks hesitant.

"And what difference does it make? The Chairman always introduces me to his good friends, right?"

Baekhyun purses his lips when he began growing impatient, "Do I...honestly look like I'll go inside to disturb them?"

The employee droops her head down even more. She nods quick while mumbling her apologies. Baekhyun smiles at her with assurance.

Before the employee could even open the door for him, it is pulled from the inside by the Chairman himself. There's a trace of smile on his face while a person follows him behind, speaking with an uncannily familiar voice. Baekhyun's smile fades off as their eyes meet.

"Oh, here he is!" the Chairman wasn't even able to notice his sudden stiffness, "Good thing we don't have to go there. He's really my son, isn't he? Look, he can even feel it when I need him." he laughs but Baekhyun's eyes remain on the man who flashes the same sly smile from where he is, "Baekhyun-ah, have you met this very good friend of mine?"

_Yes._

Baekhyun shakes his head. He tries to smile but he had to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

"This is Jang Yeonseo, he's been a very close comrade and friend of mine for years now." he faces his friend with the same big smile on his face, "And this is my long lost son, Baekhyun. I've been waiting to introduce him but you're a very busy man, huh?"

The man, who now has obvious lines of aging on his face and hair that is grey, a totally different look he had years ago, is now looking at Baekhyun. His eyes lingered on his face as if he's equally beguiled by the information.

Baekhyun had to look away when he stares longer. Instead, he accepts the hand offered to him in front.

"Such a fine young man." he smiles but his eyes are slightly narrowed, "He really does remind me of you when you were younger."

The Chairman chuckles boastfully. Baekhyun pulls his cold hand away from his hold.

Attorney Jang looks at him closely.

"We...haven't met before, have we?"

_"You have such a cute friend, Chanyeol-ah."_

"No."

His heart rummages against his chest as he looks at his ears instead. The more he looks into his eyes, more things are brought back to his mind. And one bad move can surely catch him red-handed. He has to play cool and keep his act smooth.

The old lawyer slowly nods his head, convinced with his answer. He might've just mistaken him for someone else. _That's what Baekhyun wants him to think. _Right now, he is another person, not the small kid he met many years ago when he was the one pretending to be an ally of Chanyeol's family.

How? How can Chanyeol's uncle say that this man is dead? When he's alive and kicking right in front of him? And how can Chanyeol and Minseok even believe it?

"As much as I want to catch up with Baekhyun right here, I'm afraid I really need to be somewhere now."

Baekhyun forces a smile. The Chairman beside him looks so disappointed with the short meeting.

"I know...Ah, very wrong timing isn't it?" he says while holding onto Baekhyun's shoulder, "I guess I'll have to arrange a lunch or something for us to properly talk."

Attorney Jang smiles between his nods.

"That would be nice." his gaze falls on Baekhyun again, "It's nice finally meeting you, Baekhyun. We'll meet again."

Baekhyun nods with the same smile. _We will. I assure you that._

"Baekhyun, will you stay here for a while? I'll just send him to the lobby outside then I'll come back, okay?" he taps Baekhyun by the arm.

"It's fine."

He doesn't spare him another glance as he walks with his friend out of the room. Baekhyun stands on the same spot for a while, his hands clutched into fists.

He had the guts to smile, laugh and have the time of his life after everything he did to Chanyeol's family? The man looks more cunning than how he expected him to be. He's reminded by how Chanyeol's parents treated him like a good companion, a family even. And he still betrayed them.

Baekhyun's game suddenly turns into something more dangerous. If he managed to have Chanyeol's parents killed then he surely has something worse up in his sleeves.

But there's no time hesitating when he has reached this far. He found the family lawyer and Chanyeol will be notified about it soon. He just wishes he'll let him help this time because he can do so much more.

Baekhyun looks at the table in front of the big glass window. He walks towards the door to lock it first to avoid getting caught again like what happened to him a few weeks ago. Right then, he began going through the files on the table. Sehun said that the new files of the Chairman is usually on his table. The green folder on top of the contracts added more to his curiosity as he opens it.

It's a bunch of files about different people. Baekhyun flips more eagerly when some of them look familiar to him. He's almost certain that this is from Attorney Jang. Maybe this was his agenda for coming here today; to give this to the Chairman. Each profile has pictures on them, and what sent shivers down to his spine is the fact that most of them are crossed with red marker right on their faces.

Baekhyun's hands are trembling as he reaches for his phone in his pocket. He starts taking photos of every profile, making sure everything is readable. He's almost done when a knock comes on the door again.

_"Baekhyun?"_

"Shit..." he quickly fumbles through the pages to finish taking all the photos. The knock continues.

_"Baekhyun, are you there?"_

He closes the folder fast and puts it back to where it was before. He straightens his clothes while gulping and calms himself down as he unlocks the door wearing his sheepish smile.

"I-I didn't realize I locked it..."

The Chairman raises both his brows as he steps inside. Baekhyun blinks nervously while trying to pat his phone in his pocket. His eyes widen when he sees it on the table where he was taking photos. The Chairman is two steps close to it when Baekhyun suddenly reaches his pace to grab his phone.

He looks at Baekhyun with confusion.

"Sorry..." Baekhyun laughs, "I left it h-here when I opened the door..."

The Chairman looks at him, bewildered by his fidgety actions. Baekhyun cusses himself internally, but he managed to try acting naturally.

"How are the wedding preparations going?"

Baekhyun watches how his eyes linger on the green folder in front of him before putting it under the rest of the files on the table. He clasps his hands as he completely looks back at Baekhyun.

He clears his throat before flashing a timid smile.

"I have yet to talk to the wedding planner." he says, "But we want it as simple as possible."

The Chairman nods.

"So you're really sure about this decision?"

The seriousness in his voice is obvious. It seems like a genuine question but Baekhyun cannot help fidgeting on his seat.

"About..."

"About marrying Mr. Park?"

Should it still be a question?

"Yes, I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else." he looks down to his hands as he gulps, "Just...Chanyeol."

He hears nothing but silence afterwards. When he looks at the Chairman again, he's seriously nodding.

"I understand." he pursed his lips, "I actually considered having you back to our house but since you're about to get married then I guess it's no use." he lightly laughs.

Baekhyun only smiles.

"I even thought I could set you up with Sehun before. After all, he's like my son too." he shakes his head while still smiling. Baekhyun raises both his brows.

"You did?"

"Of course. You will be the future of this company, Baek. Whoever you marry will get an advantage here as well. And if I were to choose, then I'll pick someone whom I can trust when it comes to you and the company. But it's completely your choice, who am I to defy?"

Baekhyun is slightly taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. He never thought the Chairman will be this lenient as a parent. He always expected him to be someone who controls everything and everyone around him.

"T-Thank you..."

He smiles at him.

"Whatever your heart wants, go for it." he speaks gently, "But remember that if there comes a problem between you and Chanyeol, then don't hesitate to tell me. It's the least I could do as your father."

Baekhyun feels his heart clenching. If he really is acting right now then _heck _he's really good at it.

He'd like to think that he's simply a good pretender. That Baekhyun is not taking him mistakenly as someone evil; and that he's not missing out on someone who's really a good person.

The Chairman is obviously bewildered by his sudden silence. He breaks it by sighing deeply as he leans on his chair.

"Oh well, I guess I'll be granting Chanyeol his wish to buy the stocks he wanted."

Baekhyun's gaze lifts up from the floor.

"You will?"

"Yes. You're marrying him. I was just hesitating before since I never thought you're planning something long-term already. But he's a good investment. To have him as a part of BEPC will surely benefit us both."

Here it goes. Chanyeol is finally making his way to the company. If he gets one of the biggest shares in the corporation which will surely put him in the board of directors, then marrying Baekhyun so soon will not be necessary. He can definitely move his way up on his own. Baekhyun doesn't understand the rush for all of this.

Before he could even think of something that will get his hopes up, his own voice echoes in his head― _marrying me will surely give him the company completely._

And he'll be able to get rid of him sooner.

"Baekhyun?"

"Yes..." he clears his throat, "I mean, yeah, I'll tell him that."

The Chairman laughs when he answered absentmindedly.

"You didn't hear me, did you?"

He shakes his head, ashamed for spacing out.

"I said, I'm putting my trust on Chanyeol not because of his business skills." he looks at Baekhyun as if making sure he's listening, "It's because of you."

Baekhyun nods, "I do...I trust him."

"Not only that," he says, "I can see how much he really loves you and looks after you. He may be someone ruthless when it comes to this industry but I don't see that when you're with him."

Baekhyun falls silent again. Why are his words leaving such a big impact to even disagree?

He's just really good at pretending, Baekhyun thought. Chanyeol is really just devoted into making everyone believe he's head over heels with him when the truth is he's a bait and he'll be thrown away once he's done using him.

There, he's back to his rightful place.

"Alright. Now they're calling me for the board meeting. I barely even sat." the Chairman lets out a sigh jokingly when the phone on his table beeps, "Ah, I can't wait for you to take over so I can finally rest whenever the hell I want."

Baekhyun stands up when he did. They both walk towards the door while his father's hand is on his back, his words a while ago are still repeating in his head.

"I'm glad we talked for a while."

Baekhyun nods, "I'll go back to my office now."

"Okay. I assume Sehun has already briefed you about the agendas this week." his brows cross, "Wait, speaking of, I haven't seen that kid yet. Have you?"

He's not even sure where he is.

Despite being a part of the busy city of Seoul, the narrow streets he's now walking at is nowhere near the definition of the city it belongs to. This place is eerily quiet and there's no question that this is the poorer area of the place judging from the quality of the houses and apartments around. Baekhyun isn't really sure about what he's doing or if he can get out of there alive.

But he has to execute his plan as soon as possible. When the Chairman had gone for the meeting after their quick talk, Baekhyun bribed one of his staff to not tell anyone that he went out for a while. He didn't say the true reason, of course. But with the _little _amount of payment for the favor, and a persuasion where he emphasized that he's her future boss, she clearly had no choice but to agree.

One of the profiles from the folder Baekhyun saw in the Alpha's office is living here. Right in this neighborhood. Very few people from the files had no X mark on their photos, but from these photos, only one person is living within the city. Baekhyun decided to go to his house because he surely can't go to the others with the little time he has. Chanyeol or the Chairman will surely look for him, and the last thing he wants is to be caught or stopped.

He has to move on his own before this photo gets marked by the same red X on it too.

Baekhyun zooms the photo closer to check the exact number indicated on the address, then he looks at the rusty signage above him to make sure they match. When they did, he sighs heavily and walks in a very narrow and secluded alleyway towards a small door at the end of it. He gently knocks a few times, slightly fidgeting on his feet while he waits for a response.

He hears footsteps from the inside but no one is opening the door yet. Baekhyun gulps as he knocks again, yet he flinches when he hears the unlocking sound from the inside.

"How can I help you?" a young woman slightly opens the door, its chain is still connected so it isn't completely opened. She looks at him warily.

"Uhm...is Kim Sangchul living here?" he formally asks. The girl blatantly looks at him from head to toe before speaking.

"What do you need from my father?"

Baekhyun clears his throat, "I-I'd just like to talk to him...is he there?"

"Well he doesn―"

_"Sangin, who's there?"_

Baekhyun tries to peak above her head to see the source of the voice. She's looking behind her but Baekhyun couldn't see when the opening of the door is this small.

"He's looking for you."

"Who?"

The young girl is now replaced by a tanned man who's in his late 40's. As soon as he sees someone unfamiliar standing outside his door, his eyes widen in fear.

"Are you Kim Sangchul?"

"No." the man doesn't look at him. His eyes uneasily roams around, "Y-You must b-be mistaken...please l-leave."

Baekhyun opens his mouth but the door slams in front of him. He hears it getting locked from the inside and the low mumbles behind it. He knocks again, this time more eagerly.

"Please! I just have to talk to you Sir!" he heaves heavily, "I need your help. I won't harm you..."

No one opens it again but he can still hear their faint voices on the other side, as if arguing about something.

"Please help me. You...you were from Jeollanam-do, right?" his voice almost trembles, "A-And you know about the Park's..."

The voices stop. Baekhyun looks at the door in front of him. It seems that the words he said affected them.

Soon, the door opens again. This time, the man's bloodshot eyes look directly at his face.

"W-What do you know about the Park's?" he asks with a low voice, "Who are you?"

Baekhyun blinks as he tries to grasp himself to answer.

"I was from Jeollanam-do too." he answers, "I'm Ahn Baekhyun."

The man's eyes widen with the mention of his name. He closes the door again. And Baekhyun is about to knock when it opens wider and he's pulled inside the small house. His heart thumps wildly against his chest when the door is shut beside him. He's now in a small and dimmed house. It seems like they closed everything that the air and light barely reach inside. Baekhyun looks around nervously.

"I know you..." the man looks at him intently, "You were the lover of the young Park before, weren't you?"

Baekhyun avoided his gaze and it fell on his daughter instead. He chooses to look down as he nods.

"W-Where is he?" the man's eyes glisten. He can see it despite the dimmed lights, "Is he alive?"

"He is." Baekhyun nods eagerly, "I need to ask you some questions―"

"I'm next..." he began speaking hysterically, "Tell him I'm next!"

Baekhyun shakes his head, "W-What do you..."

"They've k-killed everyone else..." tears stream down his face as he grasps Baekhyun's arm, "T-They've killed the rest and I-I'm soon to follow!"

"I-I don't understand..." Baekhyun tries to hold him still, "Who? Who killed them?"

The man continues to shed continuous tears of fear. His daughter watches him from the corner, looking distraught. The man only shakes his head.

"Please tell me..."

"They f-forced us..." he says between his hiccups, "A-All the witness of...of the m-massacre to move out of South Jeolla. They gave us n-new houses to live and paid us to start over...But through the years, each of the witness w-was being murdered." he grits his teeth and his grip becomes tighter, "T-They told us they would leave us alone if we keep quiet! B-But they d-didn't! I'm s-so afraid..."

Baekhyun finds it hard to breathe, or to speak.

"W-Who's behind all of this?"

The man shakes his head. He's almost kneeling to the floor.

"I-I don't know..." he gulps, "They made sure no one knew them. All I know is that he's powerful. A-All the threats he give us always happen. W-We can't escape..."

Baekhyun clenches his jaw. Only one person comes to his mind.

"I've only seen h-him once...or t-twice." he pants, "When he p-personally went to us. I know he's a big person. H-He can silence all of us...he threatens us e-every now and then...or sometimes his s-son."

Baekhyun's brows crease.

"What?"

"P-Please...help us." the man grasps his arm again, begging on his knees. "W-We're losing time. The son of the Park's needs to know that there are witnesses left. I-If I die...then I want to make things r-right for him."

"Appa!"

His daughter is now silently crying on the corner. Baekhyun looks at them and his heart is breaking.

"You won't die." Baekhyun shakes his head, "I promise you that."

The tiny bit of hope in the man's eyes made him even more certain of his decision.

"For now, stay silent. I'll do what I need to do, and I'll come back for you."

He may be involved with the most powerful people in the country, but Baekhyun is still, like he has always been, powerless.

That's what he realized on his way back to the office. He couldn't even do anything to protect the witness he found. He couldn't even find immediate ways to look for the others. He couldn't do anything fast because he doesn't hold authority or power.

It's demeaning for himself.

He goes back inside his office before sunset, sharing a look with the employee he asked for a favor earlier. Once he settles himself on his swivel chair, the first thing he think of is how is he supposed to tell Chanyeol about everything? He will surely be mad again, especially once he knows that Baekhyun acted by himself. He wants to snort out loud. He can already hear Chanyeol yelling at him to stop involving himself in this matter.

But then again, he's already involved here. Way before he found out everything today.

"Mr. Byun?" another employee from the reception knocks on his door, "There's a package for you."

Baekhyun looks up at her from massaging his temples.

"Huh?" he asked. He doesn't remember ordering something, "From who?"

It seems that the employee also realized just now that there's no exact name of the sender on the package. She smiles sheepishly.

"The man from the courier only hands it to the security. They said there's no detected weapon inside so they let it reach you." she explains, "Sorry, Sir."

Baekhyun shuts his eyes in exhaustion.

"It's okay." he nods and reaches for it as she hands it, "Thank you."

Baekhyun covers his face with his palm as he felt the exhaustion from today slowly filling his system up. Right then, he glances at the package in front of him and unwraps it.

There are only four pictures inside and a note, very few compared to the box used. Baekhyun blinks rapidly as he looks at the pictures intently. His furrowed brows relax when he realizes what's there.

It's his wedding planner. The beautiful lady he met a few days back, and his soon-to-be groom himself, sharing a very little space between them in a dark bar. The other two photos seem like they're already sharing something intimate as Chanyeol leans closer to her ear and her hand grips on his leg. The last photo is a little different from the first three―yet still Jennie and Chanyeol, looking so young, _college days, maybe?, _and his arm is wrapped around her shoulder while she flashes him a sweet smile.

Baekhyun feels even worse. He can hear his heartbeat in his ear and he doesn't like it.

The note says―_They obviously shared something good in the past, maybe that's why he had her back...don't you think? :)_

Baekhyun crumples the note when he can almost hear the mockery in the written words. He shoves the photos back to the box and sets it aside. Baekhyun grabs his pen and continues to work, but he can barely read the words on the paper because his eyes got a little too blurry.


	12. 11-Let Me Go

The world feels so heavy on his shoulders.

Why is falling in love so hard? He hasn’t found the answer yet. Maybe it can never be found. Why does thinking about giving up feel like you’re guilt tripping yourself as well? That you chose this, so you should endure the pain that comes with it. Why is simply giving up and leaving not part of the options?

Is this how this _thing _eventually kills you? When you stop functioning properly, or when you begin feeling nothing out of the intense pain?

Is this how it really works? Or being in love and stupid at the same time is exclusively for him?

His eyes hurt from the thousands of words he read in a span of seven hours straight. Throughout the process, the employees outside became fewer until he’s the only working person left in the whole floor. Maybe in the whole building even. The security staffs checked on him every now and then and he wondered if they were genuinely concern or annoyed because of his drastic working.

It only occurred to him that it’s already too much when one of the drivers from the mansion started calling him. He was able to get a glimpse of the time from his phone screen. His head began hurting when he realized it’s a few minutes before midnight. Baekhyun spaced out before fixing his things. He apologized to the security team roaming around the floors for being such a bother. They all bowed to him with a hint of awe in their gazes.

The Chairman’s son has been working really hard, huh? Or so they thought? Because he in fact, just needed to distract himself so he won’t lose his mind from everything.

_Were you able to forget, Baekhyun? _He hissed inside his mind as he blankly stared at the floors flashing on the elevator screen. _No, you weren’t._

The moment he leaned on his seat inside the car, Baekhyun dozes off to sleep from the exhaustion. The driver looked at him from the rearview mirror, shaking his head in sympathy when Baekhyun’s head dangled to his side. When they reached the mansion, Baekhyun wiped the side of his lips while his eyelids still felt heavy. He caught the driver watching him in concern in which he only responded with a tired smile before going out.

He slowly walked inside the mansion while keeping his head low and his eyes on the floor. Baekhyun felt a presence in the living room as soon as he walked in but he was too tired to give it attention. Or rather, he didn’t want to see Chanyeol’s face for tonight. Just for tonight…he wants to rest.

Chanyeol brings the file he was barely reading down to his lap when Baekhyun comes in. He removes his reading glasses and went on to watching Baekhyun ignore his existence until he reaches the stairs.

“Where have you been?” he receives nothing but silence as Baekhyun reaches the middle of the long staircase unresponsively.

He shifts on his seat and leans his elbows on his knees while his eyes darken, “Baekhyun, did you hear what I said?”

Baekhyun stops on the midst of walking and faces him. His expression looks unusually cold, yet what Chanyeol noticed is that more than anything, his eyes are extremely exhausted.

He stands up and walks to the stairs as well.

“I need to discuss something important.” he says, thinking about it just now.

Baekhyun lets out a worn out sigh.

“Now?” he asked and his voice is drained from the life it usually has, “Can it wait ‘til tomorrow?”

Chanyeol stares up at him, looking straight into his eyes while weighing his words. Baekhyun only stares at him wearily.

He rubs his forehead while his brows are raised.

“Fine.”

Baekhyun doesn’t wait for another word from him when he walks away towards his room. Chanyeol remains standing on the same spot even after he heard the door closing from upstairs. He spaces out for a while, trying to focus back on his files when his mind is really drifting anywhere but them. When he realized it’s not working, he picks up the papers he was barely reading and the ones he tried to use as distraction in the middle of waiting. He headed to his room where he kept his eyes open for a while.

Baekhyun seemed really tired today.

He’s already in his working suit when he decided to stay home first and read the last few envelopes left in his drawer. He placed some files on the table if ever someone barges in and catches him reading pastel-colored letters, then he can still convince them he’s here to work. He can almost hear every word he reads in his mind, like someone’s reading them for him.

_It was at the beach. And the ring bearer was his golden retriever. There’s a crown on his head made of baby’s breath, and they were in simple white linen shirts and their bare feet. It was beautiful, Chanyeol. I really wish I could show it to you._

The letters were written beautifully, as if it took all the time in the world to be made. As if every word was sure and not rushed.

_I want something like that too. A beach, or maybe on top of a hill…or still a beach? Sunset will be perfect. There’s just something so serene about it. Maybe someday we can do that._

Chanyeol rereads the same paragraph over and over again. He’s almost done with the third letter when someone aggressively knocks on the door. Chanyeol flinches from his seat and immediately covers the envelopes with a bunch of work folders.

“Come in.”

Minseok is panting when he opens the door, locking it right after. He has a brown envelope on his hand and began waving it in front of Chanyeol.

“Someone sent me this!” he says urgently, handing out the envelope to Chanyeol whose brows are now furrowed. “There are witnesses left Chanyeol! I don’t know if they’re complete but it seems like it. Some are marked which I assume dead.”

Chanyeol’s breath hitched when he sees the profiles inside the envelope. Most of them are familiar to him, had worked under their family or simply residents of Jeollanam-do.

“These are scanned files.” he says when he noticed the quality, lifting his gaze up to Minseok. “Who sent this?”

“I don’t know.” Minseok shakes his head, “It’s anonymously sent. There’s a note that came with it.” he points the envelope and Chanyeol looks inside to see a small note.

_There’s only few of them left, time is running out._

_Save them._

Chanyeol stares into space, thinking who might’ve sent it. Minseok watches him with his hands on both his waist as if trying to figure it out too.

“Order the men. I want them to get all these people out of their homes safely, with their families.” he seriously says and stands up while loosening up his tie to breathe.

“Where are we taking them?”

Chanyeol dials on his phone, sending initial orders while he thinks of plans.

“To the safe house at Gangnam. Tell them to get these people whether they like it or not.” he says with emphasis and Minseok only nods, “I want it within the day.”

Minseok blinks yet he doesn’t try arguing since Chanyeol has the authority.

“Once the person behind all of this knew, the danger of this will get worse Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol looks at him.

“Yes, and I’ve seen that coming.” he says, “Remember what I said, keep them safe.”

The assistant sighs, “I will.”

Chanyeol grabs all the things he needed before looking back at Minseok, “And Baekhyun…”

Minseok nods again, knowing exactly what to do.

x

Why, why, why on earth does he need to go through this? The last people he wants to see right now are his fake fiancé and his wedding planner who’s now smiling brightly while waiting for him to come closer. Baekhyun tries to conceal the frown on his face that has been there from the moment the day started. Baekhyun badly wants to combust. He’s ashamed and he doesn’t even know why. Maybe because he knows how pathetic he must look.

“I’m very glad to finally talk to you!” Jennie immediately hugs him, not even minding the way he stiffened when she did. He gulps before smiling awkwardly. She only notices it this time and immediately steps back to where she stood before, “Oops, sorry I was just carried away!” she laughs.

Baekhyun forces a smile while looking around.

“Where’s Chanyeol?”

“Oh, he went to the comfort room. I think he had a lot of coffee.” she grins but Baekhyun couldn’t even do the same. He grits his teeth and purses his lips, not even wanting to talk anymore. They probably talked and did things before he arrived, who knows? He badly wants to chuckle in sarcasm.

“So…do you have anything in mind about your ideal wedding?” she starts asking. And seriously, Baekhyun couldn’t even come up with anything decent whenever he realizes that this is fake and moreover, Chanyeol is probably in love with the woman he’s talking to right now. What’s the goddamn point, really?

“Well…just a few.” he says, almost weakly. “I just want to get this over with…that’s all.”

Jennie’s excited smile fades off again. And Baekhyun isn’t apologetic this time.

“Sorry, I just have a lot more problems in work so I’m not really inspired.” he says nonchalantly and he can almost see the disappointment on her face.

“Oh…okay, uhm do you want to resched this some other time? I can totally just―”

“No, it’s okay. Let’s just let Chanyeol decide.”

They were surrounded by nothing but silence after that. He glances at Jennie who’s now uncomfortably fiddling through her brochures and portfolio. She seems like a very nice girl. Very beautiful, even. Not really hard to love.

Maybe that’s why she’s…

“Hey, sorry. I just had a quick phone call.” a deep voice says from the person entering the door. He’s slightly panting, and Baekhyun wonders if he ran on his way here from the restroom. His face is serious like how it usually is, but there’s a hint of urgency on it. When he sees Baekhyun, his face relaxes.

Baekhyun is quick enough to look at the brochures in front of him instead. He feels Chanyeol walking behind him before settling on the space beside him. Baekhyun didn’t fail to look so nonchalant until Chanyeol pulls him by the shoulder and kisses his temple, a little longer than a peck.

He can almost feel his gut clenching even when Chanyeol already lets go. He catches a glimpse of Jennie, who’s still silent though there’s a hint of smile on her face. Baekhyun clears his throat and doesn’t respond.

The very perfectionist Chanyeol is still in character even when there’s only the three of them in the room? Totally not a surprise.

All he can do is to endure the bitterness running through his throat. Swallow it like how he swallowed his pride and dignity.

“Alright,” Chanyeol starts off, “what do you say we’ll tackle first, Jen?” and there goes the nickname again. Baekhyun doesn’t stop flipping the pages of the brochure even when his attention isn’t on it.

“Yes. Actually everything will be based on your preferences as a couple.” she says while her hands are clasped, “I will just meddle when it comes to the tiny details which you are undecided, but I really need your cooperation in this, Chanyeol and Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun doesn’t look at Jennie. But he can see from the side of his eyes how Chanyeol nods without hesitation.

“Yeah, sure.”

There’s a silence that followed after that. Baekhyun only realized that they’re waiting for his response when Chanyeol turns to him with his brows raised. Baekhyun looks at Jennie who’s watching him with so much anticipation.

He nods.

“Alright!” she almost squeals, “Let’s begin with the setting and theme of the wedding you want.”

Baekhyun can’t still believe they’re really doing this for the sake of the show. He can’t bring himself to accept that he won’t be having the dream wedding he had always imagined. Of course he had one. The details, the marriage he had always dreamed for himself, he had them all. But he will never use these for this wedding. It’s for him to treasure. He wouldn’t want to have the wedding of his dreams to be just a part of a façade, especially when there’s no love involved.

“Baekhyun?”

“Uhm, I…don’t really have good ideas for it. I have never been good on planning events and such so I don’t really know…”

Chanyeol watches him. His brows are slightly furrowed, looking slightly put out by his obvious alibi. Baekhyun doesn’t look at him and keeps his face blank while he looks at Jennie.

“I just…want it to be as simple as possible.” he gulps, “A small wedding is fine…I prefer it to be intimate, with only few friends…and family.”

Ironic.

Baekhyun keeps his gaze on the table while Jennie nods in front of him, clearly expecting for something more yet she still smiles after that. Chanyeol is only listening beside him, his gaze focused on Baekhyun’s uneasy fingers fiddled on the shorter’s lap. It took a while before he looks away from it.

“It’s okay, most couples prefer small and intimate weddings nowadays. I understand that especially that you’re both very high-profile.” her smile becomes more encouraging, “Anything more, Baekhyun?”

He shakes his head, “You can just decide what you think―”

“I want a few things to be done.”

Jennie raises his brows when Chanyeol suddenly cuts him off. But she presses the end of her pen while nodding. Baekhyun doesn’t even expect that Chanyeol will bother suggesting but it’s still a good thing since he’s tired of being asked about this all the time. It’s good that they’re acting together accordingly.

“Alright, go on.”

“I want a beach wedding.”

Baekhyun doesn’t expect this at all. No one does. Even Jennie was a little caught off guard but she beams right after while writing it down. Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol but he remains facing Jennie.

Beach wedding.

Just like how he imagined it.

Baekhyun’s jaw hardens, very opposite to the excited planner in front of him.

“Oh my god, is that why you chose New Zealand? That’s amazing!” she coos, “What beach though? I know a lot. Do you want something fancy? Maybe we can do it at Coromandel!”

Baekhyun tries to stop being so interested anymore. But he couldn’t when they obviously had him with the beach wedding.

“I want it at Cape Reinga.” Chanyeol adds and Jennie gasps. Baekhyun plays with his fingers, not being able to relate with the names they talk about.

“Wow…that would be so cool…” she says, “I just don’t know if there’s still an available slot.”

“I can pay as soon as possible.”

Jennie purses her lips while writing down, flashing a smug grin when she glances back at him.

“Wedding on top of a hill and the ocean, huh?” she looks so impressed, “This will be much more challenging than I thought.”

“Like what Baekhyun said, a simple setup will do.” he says and leans his back on the couch, “Maybe just surround the place with white flowers, baby’s breath and calla lilies.”

Jennie continues to write. She looks more contented now than she was when Baekhyun was suggesting. Chanyeol adds more.

“And we will be short of entourage. Get trained dogs as the bearers. Maybe Labradors or Retrievers will do.”

The planner is now squealing in excitement more than them. She writes quickly on her notebook while wearing a big smile on her face.

“That’s so cute!” she bites her lip and looks at the both of them, “I can’t believe it. These are actually great ideas.”

Baekhyun couldn’t bring himself to respond, nor to smile. He wants to drag this thing out of his chest. The unwanted memories of his past self just come running back to him. These are uncannily familiar ideas. To him, at least.

Why and how?

“This is your perfect wedding, Baekhyun.” the planner smiles at him before writing again, “Ah…so lucky.”

Baekhyun doesn’t look at Chanyeol beside him, but he can still feel him close. If he’s staring at him, if he can hear his questions in his head, he doesn’t know.

This isn’t how he dreamed of it to turn out. Not at all.

“I still can’t believe you came up with these ideas, Chanyeol.” Jennie narrows her eyes at him before laughing. Baekhyun hears a deep chuckle beside him before a large and warm hand covers his own. He blinks as he stares at it before glancing up to Chanyeol who’s shaking his head while looking at Jennie.

Of course, cause he didn’t. It was all Baekhyun’s idea.

It was, or maybe it could’ve been his dream wedding.

“We still need to talk about a lot of details.” Jennie fixes her blazer before running her hands through her hair, “But it’s a good thing we already have a starting point. I can start scheduling it now, including your pre-wedding events.”

Baekhyun only nods at the corner, glancing at Chanyeol who’s listening to her attentively.

He doesn’t even know when they are bound to marry. All he knows is that Chanyeol wants it as soon as possible. Probably right after the company goes to him so that their other plans can go on successfully right after it, without anything hindering them.

“It’s a month from now, isn’t it?”

“Less than.” Chanyeol corrects, “Just tell us earlier when will be the scheduled pre-wedding events so we can fix our schedules.”

Baekhyun subtly snorts. Chanyeol is acting way too much that he’s really willing to prioritize this one. Talk about determination.

“Alright!” Jennie glances at him with a pretty smile, “Today’s been fun! I’ll let you know once I manage to schedule everything.”

Baekhyun only nods again and it seems like Jennie’s now used to his minimal reactions.

“I’ll see you soon, Baek!” she steps towards him to give him a half-hug before happily waving her hand when she steps back. Baekhyun wonders if she’s always been that touchy to everyone.

_Well, maybe she is, Baekhyun. _He tells himself. _Remember the photos?_

He shuts his eyes tight, unaware that Chanyeol is watching him. Before he can utter a cuss for himself, he catches his gaze. Baekhyun clears his throat before trying to look casual again.

“I’ll just send Jennie to the lobby.” Chanyeol says, “Wait here.”

Baekhyun shakes his head, “I’ll be going too.”

“Wait here, Baekhyun.” he falls silent when Chanyeol’s tone grows stern. He slightly rolls his eyes as he watches him walking behind their wedding planner. Something in his chest won’t stop twisting.

He sits inside the quiet office, and he doesn’t even know why he agreed on staying. He should’ve left. He shouldn’t have even gone here in the first place. It looks like Chanyeol can manage very well with his wedding planner. Throughout the meeting, he looked like an unnecessary presence with them and their own world of wedding ideas.

Maybe they should just marry each other.

Baekhyun bites his lip hard before standing up from his seat. Whatever Chanyeol wants to say, he can hear it later. Where there will be maids around them to save him from discomfort and probably not when he just talked to their wedding planner who’s been appearing in his nightmares lately.

He steps out of the office, spotting Jennie on the hall as she steps away but her head is still facing Chanyeol while her eyes are crinkling from her big smile. Baekhyun couldn’t see Chanyeol’s face, and for a moment, he wanted to see it. But when Jennie walks back to where his fiancé is standing and is suddenly enveloped in a big warm hug, he figures out…it’s enough for him to see.

He closes the door of Chanyeol’s office, striving too hard to swallow the painful lump in his throat. When it’s shut close, he leans on the wall beside it while a forced smile curves on his lips. _What did he tell you? _He mocks himself. _You should’ve just sat there and wait._

Look what happened.

Baekhyun weakly leans on the wall, placing his hands behind him.

It feels heavier. Knowing that he might fell out of love is one thing. When he despises you with his whole heart is so much worse. But having both of those while you watch him falling for someone else is just the cherry on top, really. It feels so fucking heavy as if his heart is filled with sharp rocks. Baekhyun finds it harder to breathe without breaking down again.

He closes his eyes tight so that they’ll stay dry. _You do not cry right here, Baekhyun._

Again? _You chose this._

He catches his breath and opens his eyes, the door beside him does the same. Baekhyun doesn’t even flinch or move from where he is. He doesn’t bother looking at Chanyeol’s face who still has a trace of smile on it. It fades when he sees Baekhyun leaning on the wall, wearing an unreadable expression.

Baekhyun gulps before speaking.

“Can I go now?”

He had seen it all. Can he finally leave?

Chanyeol sits on the arm rest of the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes do not leave Baekhyun as if he’s weighing his thoughts. Baekhyun has been unresponsive for the past few days, and he can notice it even if they don’t talk that much.

“Can I leave now?” he repeats, sounding more impatient when Chanyeol only stares at him.

“You have to be more convincing around everyone, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun wants to chuckle. He does, huh? Why? So no one will suspect his affair?

Goodness, Baekhyun.

“Okay.” he doesn’t argue anymore. If Chanyeol only wants a better lie then fine. If that’s how he can leave now, then so be it. “Is that it? Can I go now?”

“No.” Chanyeol sighs.

Baekhyun clenches his jaw.

“I need to go back to the office, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol stands up from where he sat. Walking around it towards where he is.

“I need you to give your ideas for the wedding. I need you to be completely hands on to it. You’ll decide on the reception, the food and other important details―”

“Why?” Baekhyun can’t help the irritation in his voice now. And Chanyeol’s eyes darken because of this, “Why is that necessary?”

“Because I said so.”

“Then do it yourself!” Baekhyun snaps, “You obviously have all the ideas in the world. That’s why your wedding planner is there! That’s her job so let her do it!”

Chanyeol’s jaw hardens with his feisty response.

“I don’t know what the hell your problem is, Baekhyun.”

“It’s a fake wedding, Chanyeol!” his voice almost breaks. It seems like the heaviness in his chest it starting to come out, “All these…New Zealand, and fancy beach wedding just―what the _fuck_ is that?”

His chest is heaving.

“Y-You can just marry me tomorrow and I’ll still give you the goddamn company!” he grits his teeth and his pounding heart won’t slow down, “I won’t waste my effort and time for this, Chanyeol. Don’t make it look like a fairytale to everyone because it’s not! You and I both fucking know that!”

Chanyeol watches him. His eyes are piercing through him as if he just said the worst thing.

“Are you done?”

Baekhyun looks at him, his eyes getting warm while he pants heavily. Chanyeol doesn’t bother caring about this. He’s too irked by the words he just heard.

“I want this to look sincere and real, Baekhyun. Are you underestimating the people we’re trying to fool here? Do you think they’ll buy it if I give you a cheap and petty wedding?” the side of his lips curves but his eyes are cold, “No, they won’t. And you know I won’t settle for that. If you’re worrying about the money I’ll waste then don’t bother. You know that’s never a problem for me.” he licks his lip before chuckling, “Is this the reason behind your unnecessary tantrums lately, Baekhyun? Cause I want a grand wedding?”

Baekhyun grits his teeth, yet he wasn’t able to answer. He only glares at Chanyeol while his lips are pursed into a thin line.

“Or are you losing courage now?” Chanyeol coldly asks, “Are you backing out now? Just tell me.”

_Can I? _Baekhyun asks in his mind, _can I just quit?_

Chanyeol clenches his jaw when he fell into silence and deep thought, obviously considering it. He looks straight at Baekhyun as if his question had no choice offered with it. That he won’t dare say yes.

But for Baekhyun; he’s so much more than this. If Chanyeol couldn’t keep his promise then he won’t be like him. They’re different.

He looks down and shakes his head, his expression is still hard.

“Good.” Chanyeol upbraids, “Now it shouldn’t be hard for you to do what I say and cooperate on the preparation of your own wedding.”

Baekhyun plays deaf. Chanyeol lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Stop being this difficult, Baekhyun. If you have a problem then say it right in―”

“Mr. Park?” one of the secretaries peaks her head in the door, almost gasping when she realized she interrupted something. “Oh, s-sorry…I didn’t know Mr―”

“It’s okay.” Chanyeol says, still looking frustrated. “What is it?”

“Mr. Kim is here with a few of your security team. He wants to talk to you.”

Baekhyun grabs his bag from the other couch and wordlessly turns his back on him as he walks to the door. Chanyeol runs his fingers through his now messy hair.

“Baekhyun, we’re not yet done.” the secretary awkwardly watches them beside the door. Baekhyun doesn’t budge and still continued walking away, “Baekhyun!”

He completely left without sparing him a glance. Chanyeol rubs his face with both his palms as he heaves in frustration. The employee bows at him before leaving him alone, afraid that he’ll soon burst out. But Chanyeol only remains on the edge of the couch for a while, tapping something in his pocket that he didn’t have the courage to give.

Even with his quick walking pace, he can feel someone walking behind him. Not someone, actually, cause there’s a lot of them. When he reaches his car in the basement parking, he faces them with his annoyed expression.

“What do you want?” he hisses. They stopped on their tracks yet they didn’t look apologetic. They only stood in front of him with their blank gazes and hands on their backs, just waiting for him to resume walking.

“Why are you following me?” he repeats in a much more irritated tone. He doesn’t want to see anyone related to Chanyeol and that includes his guards.

“You’ll be under our watch effective today, Sir.”

Baekhyun’s chest is heaving as he throws them a glare, “And why do you think I need that?”

They remain looking stoic, unmoved by his feisty attitude.

“Orders from the boss, Sir.”

He grits his teeth. What now? Why does he need someone tailing him all the goddamn time?

“Tell him I’m not going to escape.” he hisses, “I won’t have an affair. Maybe he’s the one you need to look after.”

The guards remain on their positions, and Baekhyun is close to smacking them one by one.

“Leave me alone!”

“We will be driving you anywhere, Sir. You will not be allowed to drive or be on your own temporarily.”

He chuckles in sarcasm. Now he’s literally a prisoner?

Baekhyun glares at them a little longer when in fact, he’s already thinking of a possible alibi to escape.

“Well I brought my car with me, I can’t leave it.”

“One of us will be bringing it back to the mansion, Sir.”

He groans in frustration when there’s no sign of them letting him go. Baekhyun faces his car and notices something on its windshield. It’s a familiar envelope. And as he walks closer, it becomes a lot more known to him.

“Sir, we will not―”

“I need to get my things first. Can you―just wait there?” his voice becomes lower, subtly reaching for the envelope while looking at them. They didn’t respond but they did step back away from him.

Baekhyun turns to the envelope on his hand. He opens it and he’s right. It’s another set of photos of the same people from a couple of years back. He looks around the almost secluded parking lot, trying to spot something suspicious that might’ve put this on his car.

When he found no one, he looks down again. Some of the photos involve the two of them, but most are just Jennie. She doesn’t look different from her college days, still youthful and full of grace. Whoever is sending this is trying to prove a point.

And he knows very well what it is.

_Smart, beautiful and talented. Too bad she’s not inheriting a huge company your boyfriend badly wants to have._

_But that doesn’t mean he won’t choose her, right?_

Baekhyun blinks as he roams his eyes around the area again. He tries to keep his hands still, repeatedly looking at the photos of Chanyeol laughing.

To think that it was the time he was miserable and ignored. It just goes to show that he didn’t really cross his mind.

His bloodshot eyes looked at his car in front of him. Fortunately, he unlocked it with the key a while ago. Baekhyun takes big steps towards it and hops inside the fastest he can. He starts the engine and dismisses the guards running after his car. When he gets away from the vicinity, they eventually fade from his sight.

Baekhyun’s grip on the stirring wheel tightens. It’s stupid of him to be affected again. Chanyeol has been very vocal about what he thinks and feels about him so what should he expect? It’s not something new. He’s here because of Chanyeol’s plans. That has always been a fact. If he’s in love with someone else, then it doesn’t have anything to do with him anymore. He should be used to it.

Yet his teeth dig deeper on his lip, almost wounding it. His eyes fell on the envelope thrown on the shotgun seat beside him.

The pain isn’t lessen. It doesn’t go away. It only gets worse. So much worse.

x

“I-I missed you…” his arms around his shoulders become tighter, “I really… m-missed you…”

He feels a hand fondling his hair. The loud music drowns his sobs.

“Do you, really?” his friend chuckles, “Does missing me hurt you intensely? Because it seems to me that you’re in a great pain, my friend.”

Baekhyun cries on his chest. Jongdae sighs when his shirt began getting wet.

“Oh my fucking goodness.”

“M-My chest hurts…”

“Obviously.” he snorts, and Baekhyun laughs between his cries. He missed his mocking snorts and basically just everything about Jongdae. “It looks like you cried a whole ocean of tears and thank you for doing it on my chest and giving me a year supply of your nasal mucus.”

He breaks into laughter and pulls away to show his friend his tears-stained face. Jongdae stares at him with his brows raised.

Baekhyun sadly smiles while slowly shaking his head.

“Ah…still the same reason?” he chuckles, raising his hand to order drinks before facing his friend, “Spill.”

“So…”

Baekhyun takes a huge gulp of Vodka while looking at his friend who’s dumbly staring at him. He winces when the rough liquor runs down his throat.

“You mean to say…” Jongdae looks so traumatized, “Wait…what the fuck.”

“I know.”

“So you mean to say you’re doing a big conspiracy against your own father?!”

“Sshh!” Baekhyun hisses, “Why the hell do you need to shout it?”

“Sorry…” Jongdae shifts closer to him with his still intrigued face, “But…do you really…I mean, that’s very dangerous Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun doesn’t respond. He already told himself that, but he still continued anyway.

“I can’t believe that asshole made you do this.”

Baekhyun chuckles, his eyes are starting to feel heavy with the amount of liquor he drank.

“I did it.” he mumbles with the same forced smile, “I brought myself to this mess.”

“Still, he’s an asshole.” he hisses, “You really are what you eat.”

He smacks his arm, making Jongdae whine in pain.

“Fucking stop it.” Baekhyun grimaces, “You do realize you just implied we’re both dicks, right?”

Jongdae shrugs, “Maybe. But we’re good dicks.”

Baekhyun rubs his forehead, getting suddenly flustered by the overwhelming amount of liquor in his body. Jongdae’s nasty remarks aren’t helping either.

“Don’t let all the things I just told you slip out of your mouth, Jongdae.” he threatens while his eyes are closed, “Chanyeol will kill me.”

“I won’t, you know that.” Jongdae scoffs, “And I’ll kill him first. After everything you told me, I’m surprised I haven’t gone there yet to strangle him.”

Baekhyun smiles, “You can’t do that…you won’t.”

“Oh, watch me.” he narrows his eyes, “I know you’ll stop me so I got you drunk. And then I’ll drive there.” he flashes a sly smile.

“Jongdae.” Baekhyun frowns. His dizziness is getting more evident.

His sly smile fades as he rolls his eyes at Baekhyun. Even when drunk, he’s still as martyr as he is when sober.

“Well, I won’t do that. Just because I’m a terrible driver and I know you’ll make me kill you first before that bastard.”

Baekhyun is now laughing while leaning his head on the wall behind. His eyes are fixed on the dark ceiling of the bistro. His laugh doesn’t sound good, it’s painful to hear even for Jongdae.

“Baek, you probably won’t listen to me but I’ll try anyways.” Jongdae straightens up from his seat, looking straight at him. “You don’t have to do this. All…this. I don’t understand why you’re staying, Baek. This isn’t healthy for you. Can you see yourself?”

Baekhyun blinks at him, his lips quivering.

“You’re caged, Baek. It’s like you’re in a tight leash. You can’t even live your life the way you’ve always wanted. This may be love, but it’s killing you Baekhyun.”

Jongdae looks at him seriously.

“I just want…” Baekhyun gulps, “t-to bring back what we had. To what i-it was before.”

“Until when?” Jongdae retaliates, rather calmly. “Until you lose everything? Your family, your dream and your peaceful life, where have they gone? You lost them. And it’s because you chose to stay with Chanyeol when he doesn’t love you anymore.”

It’s the worst attack. Baekhyun’s eyes left his friend’s serious gaze. His chest is now hurting literally. He badly wants to stop listening anymore.

“What more do you have to lose for him, Baek?”

His face feel hot. He’s embarrassed, hurt, and mostly ashamed of himself.

Maybe he’s not his Chanyeol. But Baekhyun loves him just the same. If all of this ends, if the Alpha pays for what he did, Chanyeol will finally get the justice he deserves. He won’t have to endure pretending with Baekhyun. Maybe he can finally choose Jennie, or whoever he wants. They will finally part ways when everything’s settled.

And where does it leave him? What will be his place by then?

“Stop keeping it in.” Jongdae says as he watches him biting his lip to keep his sobs, “Let it out. I need you to hear it from my sincerest words. Can you imagine how wrecked you’ll be after this? Can you see the emotional and mental torture it brings you? Try and see it, Baek. Maybe try considering others and yourself, not just Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun wipes the tear that falls from his eye with the back of his hand. He sniffs and takes another drink while Jongdae hopelessly watches him.

“You’re right.” he smiles while staring at his glass, “I won’t listen to you.”

Everything is still spinning even if his eyes are already closed. He feels something stuck in his throat and the need to puke it out. His face and neck feel hot. Everything is just so terrible.

So, so terrible.

“Ah I knew this is a fucking bad idea.” he hears someone cussing beside him, then he feels a gentle tap on his cheek. “Baek, are you still alive? Wake up or I won’t forgive myself if you die for being severely drunk.”

“Jongdae…Jongdae…” he repeatedly mumbles under his breath, his hand dangle on the edge of the couch. “Jongdae…call…”

“I already did! And you owe me this one you dumbass! We just disturbed sleeping people!”

All he can think is that he still needs to live.

“Jongdae…don’t…drive me…”

“Oh you fucktard, that’s really what you tell me!” he feels his knee nudging his face, “I won’t, don’t worry. I just called someone so hang on―wait―_wait_, fuck. I think that’s him. Baekhyun, wake up that’s―Baek, sit up!”

Baekhyun groans, he can’t process anything anymore aside from the voices he hears above him.

“Sorry! I’m really sorry!”

“It’s okay.” a deep voice says, “Is he okay?”

He winces when his head feels like being hammered. His whining sound gets louder.

“Yeah, he just…drank a lot, like a lot.” Jongdae explains, “He mentioned you in his stories a while ago so I figured you’re good friends. I have no one else I can call, so I hoped you could help me.”

Baekhyun gulps while still dozing off. He misses his soft bed.

“Yes, of course.” he feels someone holding his dangling arm, lifting it up along with his body. “I can drive him home.”

Drive.

“Jongdae…don’t…drive…”

“You shit.” Jongdae hisses under his breath, “I’m Kim Jongdae, by the way. His bestfriend.”

Baekhyun scratches his neck as he shifts to his side. He hears a soft chuckle when he did.

“Oh Sehun.” he accepts Jongdae’s palm with his free hand, “We work together.”

“Ah, I see…” Jongdae is unlikely to lose words to say but his friend already looks so lifeless on the couch. He can’t keep gushing over the handsome man he speed-dialed to drive his dumb friend home, “I really…really love Baekhyun, but he got me in enough trouble tonight. My boyfriend’s waiting for me and I also don’t know where he lives. I assume I can trust you when it comes to him.”

Sehun nods, “Yeah, don’t worry.” he glances at Baekhyun, “If you don’t mind…why didn’t you call his fiancé?”

Jongdae raises his brows, too caught up with the question.

“Well, uh…” he sheepishly smiles, “Well, Baekhyun…got into a little fight with Chanyeol so we went out. He doesn’t know we went out to drink, so uh…”

The taller slowly nods, seemingly convinced with the lie.

“Okay. I can take good care of him, you might need to go home.”

Jongdae shakes his head, too guilty to leave his drunk friend that fast.

“I’ll help you carry him to the car.”

Baekhyun barely opened his eyes, like how he barely stepped with his feet. Thankfully, two people dragged him out of the crowded bistro. He isn’t fully aware of everything, but the person doing the most lifting smells really nice. Baekhyun can only tilt his head to his right, almost burying his face on the other’s neck. Soon enough he’s already clinging onto it completely.

“Look at him,” he hears the voice of his bestfriend, “Sorry…he’s really embarrassing.”

He feels the laughter against his forehead, “It’s okay. You should go now, we can manage here.”

“Thank you Sehun.” Jongdae says, his voice gets fainter like the sound of his footsteps, “Take care!”

Baekhyun feels his breathing on his hair. There’s a complete silence before they began walking again.

“I can’t believe I’m losing my precious sleep for you.”

He stopped sweating. The faint music in the car helped him relax. He couldn’t completely sleep because he feels like throwing up anytime. And even if he’s drunk, he instinctively knows that it won’t be nice to puke in the car of the person who’s nice enough to drive you home.

And with his eyes closed, images constantly flood his mind as if he’s not in enough mess.

“Baek?” he hears the gearshift of the car and the way it stopped revives his feeling of puking, “Baek, is this where you live?”

Baekhyun only groans. Even opening his eyes is a struggle.

“Baek, open your eyes for a while. Please?”

He gulps before trying to open them and adjust his sight. The first thing he sees is Sehun’s face close to him. His brows are slightly furrowed and the small distance made Baekhyun’s breath hitch. He only looks outside when Sehun does.

“Is this your house?”

Baekhyun weakly nods when he sees the gate of the mansion. Sehun presses his car horn to make their presence known. He faces Baekhyun again who’s still wearily looking at him. Sehun grabs the bottled water between them and opens the cap for him. Baekhyun drinks it hastily like he’s deprived of water for days.

When he consumed more than half, he gives it back to Sehun. The other looks at him with a small smile.

“Better?”

He doesn’t answer, but the way his puffy eyes blink in satisfaction confirms it.

“What has gotten into you?” Sehun starts scolding him, “You drank way too much, what if you got into trouble? What if the Chairman hears about this?”

Baekhyun shifts to his side to face Sehun while his head weakly leans on his seat. His naturally glistening eyes make Sehun stare a little longer.

Baekhyun only shakes his head.

Don’t tell.

“You know I can never spill your secret escapades, do you?” Sehun sighs, “You really chose the right pal.”

Baekhyun faintly smiles and Sehun smiles back.

The tall gate opens and a running house helper finds her way towards them.

“Uh…can you…call a guard or something? Like, to help me carry him out?” Sehun awkwardly says to the young maid. She apprehensively looks at Baekhyun while slowly nodding, “No need to call your boss, if he’s sleeping.”

Baekhyun isn’t able to see her response anymore. He closes his eyes for a while until the maid goes back inside again.

He feels a hand holding his cold one that made him open his eyes once more.

“Is everything fine, Baekhyun?” Sehun seriously asks, “You don’t like fine to me. Especially lately. Tell me if something’s wrong, I’m just worried.”

Baekhyun looks deeper into his eyes. He takes time observing it, blinking for a moment as if he just realized something. He lifts his hand from his side to let it touch Sehun’s cheek, making the latter stiff.

“Your eyes,” Baekhyun mumbles softly, saying things he’s barely aware. “your eyes look sad.”

Sehun blinks in confusion. Baekhyun’s eyelids are drooping down, but his thumb caresses his cheek.

“My…eyes?”

The shorter slowly nods, opening them again to stare at him.

“You look sad.”

Almost like him, Baekhyun thought. _Their eyes say the same thing._

Sehun remains silent before eventually breaking into a smile. He holds Baekhyun’s hand on his cheek, yet letting it stay there.

“Maybe I am…” there, his smile is like his eyes too.

Baekhyun almost closed his eyes again when the door beside him opened. His hand lingered on Sehun’s cheek but soon fell from his grasp when he’s carried out of the car from his side. He feels the coldness of the air outside while he’s being lifted away from where he was, stopping after a while.

This time the smell is a lot more familiar and known to him.

Chanyeol lifts him closer to him, facing Sehun while his jaw hardens.

“Where did you take him?” Chanyeol asks, almost angrily.

The maids opening the gate are watching them, looking a bit fearful this time.

Opposite to him, Sehun only grins.

“I found him in a bar, drunk and wasted, then I took him home.”

“And you took advantage of it?”

The younger chuckles, “If driving him home safe and sound in that state is called taking advantage, then yeah, I did.”

Chanyeol takes a step forward, his teeth gritted while keeps Baekhyun in his arms, “You fucking lay your hand on him and you’ll get what you’re asking for, you hear me?”

Sehun remains composed, even managing to smirk with his hands balling into fists in his pocket. “You’re welcome, Mr. Park.” he says sarcastically and bows. He steps backwards, maintaining eye contact with Chanyeol. “You take good care of Baekhyun, alright? Someone might just steal him and do it better.”

He goes inside his car and drives away, leaving Chanyeol outside the mansion with Baekhyun in his arms. He quickly walks inside as the woken up helpers open the door for them. Even when reaching Baekhyun’s room, his teeth are still gritted in anger while the same words echo in his head.

Baekhyun falls, face first, on the soft bed he’s been yearning for. He feels his shoes getting pulled away from his feet. He drunkenly mumbles while he clutches the sheet on his hand.

“Sit up, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol orders beside his bed. He shakes his head but Chanyeol’s stronger arms effortlessly lift him up to sit. He takes his sweaty clothes off of him, while Baekhyun’s head weakly dangles in front.

“Chanyeol…”

Chanyeol doesn’t budge. He continues unbuckling his belt off his waist.

Baekhyun’s sleepy eyes stare at him.

“Chanyeol…” he calls again, “J-Just let me go…”

Chanyeol stops moving. He stiffens on the floor where he’s kneeling, unable to say something when Baekhyun’s sobs filled the room.

“My letters…” he manages to say between his heavy tears, “Y-You didn’t bother…even just…r-read one of them before? I told y-you everything through them…I gave my h-heart along with them…and y-you didn’t bother…”

Chanyeol looks at him, but Baekhyun’s eyes are on his trembling hands. His words are almost incoherent but Chanyeol can understand each of them.

“I w-was yearning for you…” he lets it all out, just like what Jongdae told him to. “But there you…w-were living your life without me. H-How could you do that?”

Baekhyun weakly lays down on his chest, facing the other side to hide more of his tears. A lot more of them.

Chanyeol wordlessly sits on the floor. He rests his arms on his knees while Baekhyun’s muffled sobs pierce him right in the chest.

“I was lying…” he mutters, “I want to quit…I b-badly want to back out…Chanyeol.” his voice breaks, “T-This is tiring…I’m so tired. C-Can you just let me go?”

There’s nothing that followed after that. His head feels a lot heavier than it was before. He doesn’t know if Chanyeol already left, but he’s too worn out to even think about it.

And then he hears a step below his bed, followed by a sigh that sounded equally exhausted as he is.

“I’ve read them, Baekhyun.” he says in a low voice, sounding so restrained. “I read them all after finding out they were hidden from me for years.”

Baekhyun barely opened his eyes, but he’s listening. He tries to listen even when his hiccups overpower Chanyeol’s faint voice.

“You’re wrong.” his voice doesn’t break nor tremble, but he pauses between his words. “I was yearning too. I am.”

Baekhyun purses his lips to keep his sobs silent. He hears a long silence right then, but it was only a moment for him to gather courage of continuing.

“And I’m sorry, but I can’t give you what you’re asking.” he says, placing a small velvet box on the bed before walking out completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really enjoy reading comments so keep em coming! ^^


	13. 12-Not You Too

_How long are you planning to keep me in the dark?_

_I can't take this anymore. Please tell me, just tell me if I should still hope. I know you told me I shouldn't wait anymore, but why should I listen to you? Why should I waste all the years we had together just because you told me to stop waiting?_

_I need reasons. You can't simply leave me hanging._

_I am mad. I am so mad at you. But more than anything, I am hurt. You're the last person I expected to do this to me. But what can I do? I am in my weakest state right now. I lost Appa. I need you more than anything. I can forget everything, I just really need you._

_You know how much I love you, Chanyeol. And if you don't feel the same anymore, then I'm just asking you to be here as a friend. That's the only thing I'm asking._

_I'm begging._

_This shall be the last letter from me._  
  


It is precisely two weeks before the wedding.

For businessmen, Chanyeol and Baekhyun are very good actors too; smiling, holding each other like a real couple. Like a real _in love _couple. After a day filled with big smiles, Baekhyun goes to his room every night turning these smiles into a bitter one.

The pre-wedding events are the worst. Not only does he need to smile in front of so many people, but Jennie's presence is becoming more and more unbearable to him. It's like looking at the same photos he's receiving every day. Maybe he hasn't completely figured it out yet, but he's not completely dumb either. If she's back for a reason aside from organizing the wedding, then it won't be a big surprise to Baekhyun.

He looks at them when they're unaware, with the same thoughts running in his mind: Chanyeol got her as the wedding planner because he had the chance to. Maybe he's trying to rekindle something, if it hasn't yet. So when Baekhyun's finally out of the picture, it won't be hard for the both of them. They're just waiting for that moment, and while it's not here yet, they're trying to spend time with each other as subtle as they could. Very, very neat.

That being said, day by day, Baekhyun's idea of dream is not about being loved back anymore. It's just simply being free.

"Ready?"

Baekhyun fixes his suit with his slightly trembling hands. His chest is heaving as he stares at himself in front of the mirror. He feels like hyperventilating anytime.

Sehun smiles at him through the reflection. Baekhyun looks back at him with the same worry etched on his face. He feels him tapping him on his back.

"I don't think I'll ever be ready."

The taller grins at him. From where they're standing, he can hear the Chairman pleasing the crowd with his entertaining speech. The applause and coos make Baekhyun even more fidgety. He can almost imagine how silent they will be once he gets out there.

"Don't worry about it too much." Sehun sighs, "You worked hard for this night."

Baekhyun wasn't even helped by this as he uncomfortably stands on his feet.

"I feel like throwing up." he breathes heavily when he hears the Chairman's speech almost coming to an end, "I'll fuck this up. I'm a huge fucking mess."

Sehun even had the nerve to chuckle at him. Baekhyun almost sits on the floor because of being so nervous. He grins at him and Baekhyun throws him a glare.

"Don't even say it."

"You're a hot mess."

Baekhyun punches his arm playfully yet a smile curves on his lips. He's about to retaliate when someone from the side of the stage clears his throat. Baekhyun's smile fades when he's being signaled to stand by. He can hear the Chairman beginning the introduction.

"It's not a secret to everyone that my son is found this year. For so long, he's been taken away from me. It's been really tough...I know. But that's why I'm here, giving him all the best and everything he deserves." he gulps before continuing, "Tonight, I'm officially introducing the heir, the future of Byun Electric Power Enterprise."

Baekhyun stands on the side of the stage. The Chairman's gaze falls on him from where he is, eyes full of warmth.

"My son, Byun Baekhyun."

His breath hitched just by the way it's said. The whole venue is filled with deafening applause. And as soon as he steps out, the blinding light of the cameras greeted him. He tries not to blink too fast, _look good in the pictures, _he can hear Sehun in his mind. He flashes the biggest smile that will conceal his trembling hands clutched into fists on both his sides. Baekhyun meets the Chairman's open arms in front of the microphone. He hugs him tight that he could feel his continuous tap on his back.

"You got this." he hears his father whispering in his ear before pulling away with the same smile, "Make me proud."

Baekhyun smiles and nods. He feels him clutching his arm one last time before he completely gives him the stage.

He stands in front of the big crowd, all the people in their fancy clothes are watching his every move. And Baekhyun doesn't like it, not even a single bit. Especially when he completely knows they will have something to say once he's done talking, or maybe even when he currently is. That's just how they are. These people surrounding him.

And still, he carries on. He clears his throat and manages to keep his chin up. Years of preparing for this won't let him crumble right in front of them. These people right here, most of them had contribution to everything that's happening to him. From his life that drastically changed and the people he lost. And he came here to get what he should.

"Good evening, everyone."

His voice is gentle, yet there is already a hint of authority in it. He dares to look at them in the eyes and right then he could see their looks of awe and hidden envy. He's almost there. He can finish this.

Except for a pair of eyes he wouldn't even dare to look at. This pair of eyes that is intently watching him, eyes filled with something so cunning and loathe, together with the small sly smile curving on his lips. He's confidently leaning on his chair, watching Baekhyun execute the plans he made. And the look of satisfaction on his face is one of the many things Baekhyun chose not to fill his mind with, so he pretends he doesn't see him.

Baekhyun swallows the huge lump forming in his throat before flashing the smile he's been practicing for a while now.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you all."  
  
  
  


He must have sighed the biggest breath ever once he got out of the stage and the loud applause of the people from the outside filled the whole venue. Sehun is standing on the corner, waiting for him to walk closer while trying to prevent a smile. Baekhyun slaps his forehead before chuckling in relief.

"Did you fuck it up?"

Baekhyun grabs the glass of water beside him, looking at Sehun from the side of his eyes as he pulls it to his lips.

"I almost did." he sighs loudly before indulging himself with a few gulps of water. Sehun only watches him like what he has been doing even before his speech began, "Remind me to never do speeches again."

"You make it sound so bad," Sehun says, "you're the only one overthinking about it. You've done great."

Baekhyun catches his breath before genuinely smiling at him.

"Thanks, Sehun." he says and Sehun raises a brow at him, "You know...you've really helped me a lot."

The taller only grins at him.

"Anytime." he puts his hands in his pockets, "It's crazy isn't it? Not so long ago, you were just the newly-found boy who's mostly clueless about everything and now you're officially the heir of the country's biggest company."

Baekhyun chuckles while shaking his head.

"It really is...crazy. I never thought this will even be possible." he shrugs while smiling teasingly, "If I didn't come back, you'll probably get it. And you will surely do better than me. You're born for this."

He partly expected Sehun to smack him because of this but he only got a light laughter from him while slowly shaking his head.

"Crazy."

"What are you doing there? The both of you?" the Chairman's voice resonated around them. His tone is scolding but there's a trace of smile on his lips, "I didn't make a party so the both of you could just hide here. Especially you."

Baekhyun sheepishly smiles when he glances at him.

"My friends and the biggest people are dying to meet you outside. And Sehun, did you do what I told you?"

"Oh that, yeah I'll talk to the investors now." Baekhyun prevents a smile when Sehun suddenly sounded so afraid for forgetting the Chairman's order. "Your son just did a good job distracting me very well, Sir."

Baekhyun's mouth parted, "Wha-" Sehun only looks at him blankly but there's a hint of tease in his eyes.

"I'll go ahead now, Sir." Baekhyun only narrows his eyes at him when he bows at him as well after the Chairman, obviously teasing. "Sir."

Sehun leaves and he's only left with his father, who's raising his brows at him when he stared too much at the leaving apprentice. "So?"

"Ah, yes. I'll just go to the restroom then I'll join you outside."

"Be quick."

He nods before walking towards the restroom with an assistant trailing behind him in case he has anything he needs.

"Ah, shit." he cusses when he wasn't able to tap the eye drop bottle in his pocket.

"What is it, Sir?" the assistant immediately rushes to his side when he noticed his sudden dilemma.

"Nothing, I just forgot my eye solution."

"Should I get it for you?"

"No, no, it's fine. It's only in the dressing room. I can get it on my own." he taps his arm as he began walking away, "Thanks!"

The way towards it is isolated since everyone is in the hall. There are some staffs walking by but they are also preoccupied with their work that they barely even noticed that they passed by the star of the night.

Baekhyun immediately goes inside the dressing room where his things and clothes are. He's really close to peeing and this damn eye solution just prevented him to do so.

"Minseok?"

The shorter guy flinches as he turns to face him. Both his brows are raised and Baekhyun's gaze falls on the envelope on his hands. His eyes linger on it for a while before he looks back to his face.

He blinks a few times.

"What's that?"

Minseok remains looking at him, brows creasing.

"What?"

"That." Baekhyun repeats before subtly gulping, "You're holding."

It looks like he only realized it when he looks down to his hands and sees the envelope on them. He steps toward where Baekhyun is standing without removing his eyes from the envelope. Baekhyun warily watches him.

He hands the envelope to Baekhyun.

"W-What's this?" he couldn't help his voice from slightly quivering. He doesn't need to ask but he does. Baekhyun reaches for the envelope and opens it slightly. He only lets his hand go inside it while he still stares at Minseok.

When he feels the same texture, the familiar one, he immediately pulls his hand away from it. Baekhyun tries to keep a straight face despite his rummaging heart.

"Where did y-you get this, Minseok?" he licks his lip and tries to keep his tone casual, but the way he clutches the envelope behind him proves otherwise.

Minseok shrugs casually.

"I just found it outside the door. It has your name on it so I got it to put it here."

Baekhyun tries to nod. "Really? Did you...see who put it there?"

Minseok puts both his hands in his pockets, and Baekhyun just couldn't help looking at them.

Silence surrounds them, but Baekhyun can hear his heartbeat against his ears.

"No."

While still blinking rapidly, Baekhyun manages to smile. He clears his throat before walking past him towards his eye solution on the table. His hand is trembling as he reaches for it.

"What's inside?"

Baekhyun bites his lip before turning around with the same forced smile.

"I think it's a file I requested from the company. Just...you know, files." he chuckles, "I'll check it later. God, I really need to pee."

Minseok laughs when he does, but Baekhyun remains intently watching him while doing so.

"Yeah, it looks like you really need to use the rest room. Your face says it all."

He lets out another laugh, just in time when Baekhyun clears his throat.

"Why are you here, by the way?"

Minseok stops laughing and raises his brows with the question. His face relaxes when he realized what he was just asked.

"Oh...uh, Chanyeol's looking for you outside." he says, "I couldn't find you so I figured you must be here."

Baekhyun doesn't ask any further.

"Oh okay. I'll go there soon, don't worry."

Minseok nods slowly, staring at him as he steps backward.

"Alright, I'll see you outside."

Baekhyun wears the same smile until the door closes in front of him. He lets out another huge breath and the smile on his face completely fades. The conversation repeatedly echoes in his head.

No one can enter that vicinity so easily, let alone put a package there unless you're exclusively invited.

Baekhyun is now looking at the photos from the envelope that have the same content as the previous ones. His thoughts are scrambled in a whirlwind. But he only falls on the same suspicion.

It can't be you. _It can't be._  
  
  
  


The Chairman glances at him one more time. His eyes linger on him when Baekhyun absentmindedly shakes the hand of another businessman he's introducing. The young man is only nodding his head even when he's obviously preoccupied with other things in his mind.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks again.

Baekhyun smiles when he realized he's already being too obvious, "Yes, sorry. I must had a lot of champagne."

"You sure you don't feel sick?" he asks before looking at the center of the hall where people are already flocking, "The dance is starting. You can rest for a while."

"I'm okay." Baekhyun simply answers, "Maybe I'm just overwhelmed by everything."

The Chairman laughs because of this. His assistant is now standing beside him to inform him about the presence of more important visitors.

"I understand." he places his hand on his shoulder, "you'll get used to it. For now, just rest first. You can always decline if someone asks you to dan―"

"Am I excluded?"

Both of them turned around to see the owner of the voice. Baekhyun's hand is still on his chin but it immediately falls down to his side when he sees Chanyeol standing behind him with a small smile on his lips. The chairman's gaze lingers on the man a little longer.

"Ah, I was just telling Baekhyun to decline if someone asks him to dance. But of course, the fiancé is an exception."

Chanyeol chuckles along with the Chairman. Baekhyun remains looking so distraught between them, even when Chanyeol's observing him closely.

His arm finds its way around Baekhyun's waist.

"Congratulations for a successful event, Sir." Chanyeol says, looking extremely dashing in his navy blue suit and comma-styled hair. The way he presses himself against Baekhyun's body draws attention from the people nearby. Baekhyun can only pretend he doesn't see it.

He's in between two of the most powerful men in the place, if not in the country itself, and it's enough to make him want to combust.

"Well you know we don't just settle for good." he grins, "Don't mind the cameras around, they just couldn't get enough of my son for now."

Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun, "Understandable."

"It's the first time I'm seeing you with such a different look, Chanyeol." the Chairman has a small smile on his lips, "You've come prepared, I had to remind the ladies around that you're taken by an equally attractive man."

Baekhyun slightly flushes.

It's Chanyeol who only chuckles with the compliment, "Thank you."

The Chairman pursed his lips before speaking, "You remind me so much of an old friend." he then shakes his head as if it's ridiculous, "But people resemble each other a lot, right?"

His smile is still there, but it seems to look a little different. Baekhyun blinks because of this, obviously confused. He subtly looks at Chanyeol but it looks like he's the only one who understood it differently.

"Anyways, both of you lovebirds enjoy the night while I go around to talk with friends."

"We'll just dance for a while," he can feel Chanyeol's large hand clutching on his waist, "and if Baek is really tired, then I'll take him home."

The Chairman doesn't say anything, as if observing them really well. He's pursing his lips as if something just came in his mind and lingered there for a moment.

His assistant walks towards them again, and that's when he only seems to snap out of his thoughts as he smiles at the both of them.

"We'll talk about the boring business thing next time." he briefly waves at them as he walks away, "For now, have fun."

Baekhyun's eyes lingered on his father for a while even when he feels the hand getting off his waist. He feels his hand being pulled to the center of the hall where people are slow dancing with the sound from the high-class orchestra. His thoughts about Minseok were already forgotten when he stands face to face with Chanyeol, their eyes meeting while his hand loosely held his fingers.

Chanyeol looks at the far right corner before pulling Baekhyun's waist close to him. He puts his hand over his shoulder and Baekhyun's forehead is almost touching his chin. Their other hands are holding each other to the side while they slowly sway along the rhythm.

He presses his cheek against Baekhyun's head while he embraces him closer. Baekhyun tries to go with the flow, slightly clutching on his arm while his lips almost touches Chanyeol's collarbone. He's certain he can feel the loud thumping in his chest, but he made no effort to conceal it. This has been a natural reaction when Chanyeol's near, and he's just waiting for it to eventually go away but it doesn't. Not even a single bit.

"How was it?" he hears a mumble against his hair, "What did he say?"

Baekhyun smiles bitterly against his shoulder. At the exact moment, he sees a few cameras on the side where Chanyeol was looking at a while ago. And just like what he expected, all of them are pointed to the both of them.

All for the show, again.

"He's talking to some of the board members about a possible partnership with Flair. From what I heard, most of them are considering it because of the Alpha." Chanyeol slightly pulls away to watch him speak, "It's still under deliberation."

The taller nods.

"So you think they'll agree on it?"

Baekhyun is gritting his teeth, not wanting to talk further. He's tired, he needs to rest. And talking about their plans while pretending to dance is the last thing he wants to do.

"What do you think will the decision be?"

"I don't know, Chanyeol. Like I said, I didn't have an access in their closed door meetings yet." he says exhaustedly, "And even if they don't agree, you'll still have it. I'm giving you my shares after the wedding, right?"

Baekhyun's eyes are now fixed on the empty space. The songs are getting more and more romantic, at least for everyone else.

He sees everything over Chanyeol's shoulder; how the people subtly glance at them and whisper with one another, how most cameras in the room are directed to their way. And there's Sehun, who's sitting on the table at the far corner, surrounded by a few people yet remains watching them dancing. Baekhyun doesn't know if he sees him looking so he tries to smile, but Sehun doesn't smile back and only continues sipping on his drink.

"Are you handling everything very well?"

Chanyeol stares at his face, but Baekhyun prefers looking at somewhere else instead. Or someone. Maybe Sehun will do.

He only nods.

It took a brief moment of silence before Chanyeol speaks again.

"Don't you need any assistance? Or help?"

Baekhyun wants to clench his jaw, but he only ends up biting his lip. He doesn't even know why Chanyeol's asking a lot. He doesn't even know why he bothers speaking to him. If this was before, then he might've been happy about it. But now he's just getting more irritated.

The people around him make him realize what this really is; an act. And he hates it, he always had, but he never had a choice.

"No." he says, almost in a snap. Baekhyun's tone made Chanyeol tilt his head to look at him better.

"Baekhyun."

"Stop it, Chanyeol. You don't need to do that."

The man creases his brows.

"Do what?"

"Forcing yourself to initiate a useless talk with me. No one would hear it, I assure you."

Chanyeol's jaw hardens.

"Oh, so I can't talk to you now?"

"We can lessen the unnecessary pretending." Baekhyun smiles but it's intentionally made to look fake, "You can stop trying to sound like you care about me when there's just the two of us."

Chanyeol's lips are ajar in disbelief. "You're making a fuss about this again?"

"I'm just tired of this goddamn act, that's all."

His eyes darkened and became colder than they already were. Baekhyun looks at Sehun from the distance and the latter is now staring directly at him, timidly smiling when he finally catches his eyes.

Baekhyun unintentionally smiles back a little, he feels his hand falling to his side when Chanyeol drops it. His other hand is still around his waist while he coldly looks at him, continuing to sway to the sound while turning around to exchange their positions. Baekhyun is now on the other side while Chanyeol looks towards the way he was looking at a while ago. And when his gaze falls on the same person, his grip around his waist tightened even more.

"Hate to break it to you, but you're here to act Baekhyun. That's your job."

Baekhyun smiles sarcastically.

"I know. It's just really tiring." he swallows the lump in his throat, "But you want me to do it, so I do."

Chanyeol grins, but there's not a trace of humor in it.

"So why would I complain, really?" Baekhyun chuckles, "You want it, so you get it. Number one rule, isn't it."

In a flick of his fingers, the Chanyeol that brought him into this state is back in front of him, provoked by all the words he just said. His gaze is hard but his lips remained curved into a sly smile.

"At least you still know it." Chanyeol pulls him closer and his gaze falls on the far corner where Baekhyun was smiling at a while ago.

Then he's back to looking at him, "I get what I want, Baekhyun. Everything." he says before cupping his face to let their lips touch in the midst of the dance and embrace. Baekhyun had to clutch on his shoulders to stop himself from completely falling on the ground. The kiss is deep, and it surely made all the cameras capture it including everyone in the room, no exception.

He can hear the coos and gasp of awe around. Such a lovely, _lovely _couple.

Like what he said, it's an act. And everyone should get the pleasure of watching it, whether they like it or not.  
  
  
  


"Very scandalous for a first newspaper headline, I must say."

The small café is now filled with students. Lunch break has officially began yet Jongdae is still stuck in looking at the front page of the daily newspaper. His friend in front of him is loudly sipping his almost finished coffee. He watches Jongdae who's nodding slowly while reading the article as if he's really amused about it. Though unlike Jongdae, he has no trace of humor on his face.

"Wait, you told me you didn't see it coming right? The smooch, I mean." he casually asks while still scanning the rest of the article inside. He doesn't even bother sparing his frowning friend a glance.

"What do you think?" he hissed.

"Woop, just asking!" Jongdae even had the nerve to smile, "It looks real though. Movie-like even. And the article is basically just about swooning over the both of you."

Baekhyun massages his temple while sarcastically smiling.

"Thanks I guess." he raises both his brows, "That made me feel better, really."

Jongdae finally puts the newspaper down on his lap as he sits up straight.

"Well, it should." he says nonchalantly, being harshly honest again. "What do you want me to say? That you're doomed because everyone is now thinking that you both are a lovesick couple? Well _yes, _quite frankly, you are. But you guys are also doing it convincingly so I don't see the point why you're sulking there when you chose to be here in the first place."

Baekhyun shakes his head, "Not again."

"Baekhyun, this looks very editorial! Look!" he turns the newspaper around to make him see, "Might as well take advantage of the situation, right? Chanyeol saw the opportunity to show off, and so he did. This simple headline can do a lot of things, and that includes your image to the public. Do you think you will convince the people, especially the board, that you'll just willingly give him the company when they don't see how you're very much in love with each other? They won't."

He takes a deep sigh, not wanting to listen to Jongdae anymore but he clearly has a point and that's what makes it even worse.

"Once you establish this kind of image to the people, then it won't be a shock once he gets this big company from you. Which by the way, is still absolutely stupid, if you ask me." Jongdae snorts, shaking his head while looking outside the window. "That bastard really gets everything he wants, does he? I have this strong urge to kick him in the ass, maybe he'd want that too."

"I just wish he could've given me a heads up first." Baekhyun finally says, "God knows how much I wanted to collapse right there. I was trying to keep my best image last night, then he'll just kiss me out of the blue. Chanyeol isn't even usually like that, I was kind of expecting he'll simply pull the holding hands or intimate dance but that..."

"Now I want to kick your ass too." Jongdae smiles when Baekhyun began talking nonsense again even after he explained it. "Is that really what bothers you? If yes, then you're definitely out of your mind to worry yourself over this dumb thing."

Baekhyun glares at him but he only shrugs. Clearing his throat, he looks around before speaking again.

"That's not..." Baekhyun mumbles, "I mean, I think I found out something last night but I don't know what to believe."

"Is this about Chanyeol and his mistress you won't tell me about?" his friend narrows his eyes at him, "I swear to god..."

"No...not that. It's..." his voice becomes even lower that Jongdae had to lean closer, "I think there's an inside job happening. I don't know if the dots are connected, but there's definitely something not right."

"About?" he's having a hard time understanding when Baekhyun is being so vague about it, "Your father?"

"Remember when I told you about the photos I've been receiving frequently?"

"That of Chanyeol and...her?"

"Yes. It seems like the sender is really trying to break us off, and I think there's a deeper reason for that."

"And what is it that you said you found out?"

"I actually thought it would be someone from the outside. Someone who's only trying to mess up with me. But eventually, I realized that the photos are too personal. And it would be hard to have it reach me...unless it's someone who's just around." he gulps when he recalls what his worry was, "And last night, something just felt off. It's even worse when I began thinking it could be Chanyeol's trusted assistant."

Jongdae falls silent, only drinking through his straw while listening.

"But he couldn't do it? Right?" Baekhyun asks, "I mean...why would he? Chanyeol trusts him the most. I trust him. I don't see any reason why he'll do it."

"Unless it's connected to a much bigger picture."

"Exactly." Baekhyun heaves, "And that...I can't figure out."

"But," Jongdae's tone changes, "do you really think Chanyeol is having an affair?"

Baekhyun purses his lips, he leans back to the couch he's sitting at.

"Seriously, does it matter?"

He sees Jongdae raising his brow, and he was left blinking in realization.

"Oh I don't know." Jongdae's fake innocence didn't even help, "Does it?"  
  
  
  


He's been walking around the office trying to find a certain person. He's not in his personal office and Baekhyun doesn't have the slightest idea where he could be. He's not really the type to be late and slack off when he's the person who always scolds Baekhyun for being tardy sometimes.

"Good afternoon, Sir!"

The employees are now bowing at him. They've been more courteous since he's been officially introduced the other night.

"Hi, have you guys seen Mr. Oh?"

They glance at one another, trying to look for anyone who possibly knows but they all end up shaking their heads.

"He hasn't arrived since morning, Sir."

"I see."

He stood there for a while, contemplating whether he should check on him or not. Sehun isn't usually like this, and it actually bothers him.

It took him a few more minutes before he decided to call him. The first call was completely unanswered so Baekhyun tried again. It was on the third ring when he finally picks up.

"Sehun?" he starts off, "Where are you?"

_"Oh, Baek." _he almost sounds casual except that his voice slightly quivered in the end, _"Sorry, I wasn't able to answer."_

"Are you going here today? I actually need you to check some files."

Sehun doesn't answer immediately.

"Sehun?"

_"Sorry...not now. I'll go there tomorrow. I'm sorry I wasn't able to inform you about my absence."_

His voice doesn't sound fine, and Baekhyun knows him enough to notice that.

"Is everything okay?"

Sehun doesn't answer again.

"Sehun, are you okay?"

_"Sorry...I-I'm just fixing something." _now he's really sure he stuttered, _"Sorry, Baekhyun. I'll make it up tomorrow, I promise."_

"Hey. It's f―"

He's cut off by the loud beep from the other line, indicating that the call ended.

Why is everyone acting so bizarre recently?

Baekhyun went to the HR floor where he's met by another bunch of greetings. He greeted them back then went straight to the point.

"You have Oh Sehun's files, right?" he uses his most charming smile, "Can I see some of his file?"  
  
  
  


He doesn't know when and how he thought and decided to do it, but he's here anyway. Baekhyun stands in front of a house in a small subdivision near Myeongdong where Sehun's address is indicated. He actually expected it to be different. He didn't expect to see Sehun living in such a small and isolated home, given that he seems like a very successful man.

But he's here, contemplating whether he should knock or not since there's no doorbell outside. He eventually lets out a few light knocks on the door.

He didn't wait too long when the door is opened right then, revealing Sehun in his simple white shirt and shorts. He's wearing flipflops too. Yet what Baekhyun noticed is his worn out expression, matched with his uncombed hair.

_"Shit." _Sehun cussed hard under his breath when he immediately turns around to fix his hair and face. Baekhyun smiles because of this, earning a glare from Sehun when he finally faces him again with no difference on his look.

"Seriously?"

"I just came to check up on you. I'm worried." Baekhyun says, still smiling.

Sehun blinks nervously before letting out silent puffs of air.

"You don't have to." Sehun sighs, "I said I was fine."

"No you didn't?" Baekhyun retaliates, "All you said was sorry and some vague details."

"Still..." Sehun rubs his forehead, "You shouldn't have bothered going all the way here."

"Are you sick?"

He doesn't answer immediately. Then he shakes his head.

"No..."

"Then why were you absent?"

"Is this how it works now?" Sehun is now grinning, "A CEO that goes to his employee's house whenever they're absent?"

"Nope, just you. You got me really worried."

Sehun's smile fades because of that. He clears his throat when Baekhyun only remains staring at him.

"I know my house isn't really that nice, but I don't want to keep you standing outside either." Sehun opens the door wide for him, "So, I-I'm really sorry if it's a little dirty and too small―"

"Sehun," Baekhyun stops him when he begins getting overly conscious, "you do realize that I lived somewhere smaller before, right? Don't worry about it."

Sehun purses his lips, preventing a smile to crawl on his face.

"Come in."

He walks ahead inside. Sehun had to close the door and even doing it is difficult. Baekhyun had enough time to look around the house before Sehun could stand beside him. The living room is a bit messy, and the space inside is a lot smaller than he expected.

Sehun awkwardly stands beside him, obviously uncomfortable and ashamed. And Baekhyun doesn't know why. He's not here to judge him. He'll be the last person to do that.

"You haven't answered my question," Baekhyun starts off when they were engulfed by silence, "are you not feeling well? What's with the sudden absence?"

Sehun gulps, "No, I'm...I'm okay."

_"Sehun-ah!"_

Both of them turn to the direction where the faint voice came from. But Sehun is the only one who walks to it. The sliding door leading to a small room is partly opened, and that's where Sehun went so Baekhyun follows.

He didn't know Sehun isn't alone.

When he went stood outside the door, he can hear their mumbles. Although he doesn't go inside out of common courtesy.

"I'll get it for you! You stay there."

"You're taking so long!" it's a voice of a woman, "And who are you talking to? Do we have a visitor?"

"We don't. Don't move too much."

"Why won't you let the visitor in? Introduce me."

"Eomma."

Baekhyun straightens up when he hears it. He stays hidden outside the door of the room. He didn't know Sehun is living with his mother, or his parents. He recalls his story about being adopted, so maybe this is her adoptive mother.

"Hey, boy. I can see your silhouette from here." he hears the woman speak from the room, followed by Sehun's embarrassed groan. "Come in here, don't be shy."

Baekhyun is left with no choice but to step inside and reveal himself. He sees the both of them looking at him, Sehun and the middle-aged woman whom he called his mother. Unlike Sehun who couldn't look directly at him and slightly frowning, his mother is smiling broadly at him, eyes crinkling in the process.

"Oh...what a good-looking man."

"Eomma please, he's my boss."

"Is he now?" his mother's gaze lingers on Baekhyun, "That's rude of you to keep him outside. Who will he talk to?" she narrows her eyes at Sehun before facing Baekhyun again, "You must be the young Byun, are you?"

Baekhyun reluctantly nods, "Uh, I am..."

"Figures." she stares at him, "Carbon-copy. It's no question you're his son." she glances at Sehun again, "I've heard a lot about you from Sehun. He's been talking about you a lot."

"Ah...that's enough." Sehun stands beside her and starts lifting her arms around his neck, "Didn't you said you need to pee?"

Now that Baekhyun can see her body underneath the blanket, he's a bit shocked. Her body looks so frail, her legs are unusually thin and she barely moves. He could see the effort Sehun needed to exert so he can lift her up.

Baekhyun looks away when Sehun catches him staring.

"Thank you for being Sehunnie's friend."

Sehun stops midway when his mother reaches for Baekhyun's hand on their way out. They were both unable to speak. And Baekhyun couldn't stop looking at Sehun's mother's eyes, the way she looks at him. She's smiling, but he can see her orbs glimmering.

"Eomma, you might pee on me again." Sehun mumbles while forcing a smile, "Can you stop freaking him out for a while?"

She smiles before letting go of his wrist. Baekhyun looks at them as Sehun continues to carry her out of the room.

"D-Do you need help?"

Sehun winces a little when he struggles to fix her in his arms. His mother doesn't say anything, but it's obvious how much she tries to lighten up her weight to make it easier for him. The way she clutches on his arms is a proof.

Sehun bites his lip when it gets harder for him, and Baekhyun is already on his side.

"Can you..." Sehun gulps, still avoiding his gaze. "C-Can you carry her shawl for a while?"

Baekhyun rushes into taking her shawl off when they stand in front of the bathroom. The taller steps inside, leaving Baekhyun outside the door while watching them and waiting for anything they will need. Something in his chest is clenching while looking at Sehun. His mother bites her lip every time her limbs are being moved, as if preventing herself to produce any sound of pain even when it already hurts.

He made her sit on the toilet bowl so Baekhyun stands behind the wall. Baekhyun spaces out for a while. And when Sehun steps out to let his mother finish first, they were surrounded by silence.

"Sorry..." Sehun mutters under his breath. He's leaning on the wall behind him, obviously exhausted from carrying her around, "Y-You didn't have to see that."

Baekhyun looks at him even when his head is drooped down in front. And all Baekhyun could see clearly is the way his Adam's apple bob up and down from his gulps.

"You can always tell me. I would understand." he says and Sehun only nods, "What's...what happened to her? If you don't mind me asking."

Sehun glances up at him, gritting his teeth before continuing.

"She's paralyzed. She got Multiple Sclerosis." he says, "She's not that functional like before so I have to take care of her once in a while."

Baekhyun becomes reticent, he wasn't able to come up with words to say.

"I'm sorry..."

Sehun chuckles, "Don't be." he looks down to his hands while still smiling faintly, "I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"You didn't." Baekhyun shakes his head, "You can always tell me if that's the case. I will be the one to explain if you're absent."

"No. It's fine. I can handle it." he touches the knob of the door, "I don't want any special treatment just because of this."

And he figures it all out; why Sehun is nowhere to be seen sometimes. Why he looks so exhausted recently. Baekhyun should've known it's something serious.

They both lift his mother back to her bed. She's back to smiling brightly when she lays down on her back while watching them both.

"Thank you..." she says gently, "Sehun why don't you get him something to eat?"

"Ah no, no, it's fine. I'll be going now too. It's getting late."

"Yeah," Sehun shrugs, "and I already gave him water."

"Oh you _piss_." his mother hisses, "Water?!"

Baekhyun laughs, "It's really fine, Mrs. Oh. I'm not hungry yet. I just came to pay you a visit."

"If you say so." she sighs, "Now, Sehun-ah, buy us some food. We don't have dinner yet."

Sehun frowns even more, "Eomma! You know I can't!"

"I don't want to eat any of your cooking tonight." she says that got Sehun scowling, "Buy our dinner outside."

Sehun's about to complain, but Baekhyun is quick enough to speak.

"It's fine...I'll stay with her for a while."

His shoulders droop down when he realized he has no choice. His mother smiles at him.

"Go ahead now, it's only at the end of the street."

Sehun gazes at him first, in which he responds with a reassuring smile. He deeply sighs before walking to the door.

"What do you like?"

She raises her brows, "Fish stew?"

Sehun nods, "I'll be quick." he looks at the both of them, "Don't freak him out. I will know."

His mother only smiles and he already left. Baekhyun awkwardly stands on the corner, timidly smiling at her.

"What are you doing there? Come sit here..." she taps the space beside her. She can still move her upper body, but the bottom part is completely paralyzed. Baekhyun can see how much she winces every time she tries to shift position.

He sits on the side of her bed, and her hand immediately found its way to his hair. Baekhyun doesn't even find it uncomfortable.

His mother used to do that to him, and seems like she knows it. But maybe mothers are naturally like that.

"I'm sorry if we shocked you." she says, watching her hands fondling his dark locks. "You must be expecting a lot from Sehun. A better house, a healthy parent. He's just a man to give such impression, isn't he?"

Baekhyun immediately shakes his head.

"No...I wasn't shocked at all. Maybe I was just a little curious."

"About us?" her smile remains warm despite being so pale, "Don't worry, I'm used to it." she tries to sit up but her body is too heavy. Baekhyun tries to assist her but she motions him not to, still smiling, "I got this illness in my 20's, and it wasn't this bad. See? I was able to adopt a child and raise him to be the man he is right now."

Baekhyun watches her, not saying anything to let her continue. He knows Sehun will be here any minute so he doesn't interrupt.

She sees his curiosity and continues with a smile.

"You know, Sehun is very ambitious. As his mother, I know that very well." she chuckles, "That child is full of dreams. He got it from his biological parents, probably. And I do not complain about that."

Her lips are pursed when she paused for a while.

"Sometimes, I think I'm trying to keep him from getting far because of my condition. I always demand for time and he couldn't even move to a fancier place despite earning a lot because I want to stay here." she gulps, "Sometimes I think he's doing this because he feels in debt for being raised by me so he agrees, which he doesn't really have to...actually."

"That's not true." Baekhyun reaches for her hand when her eyes start glistening. She lifts her other hand to wipe them with the back of it, "I can see how much he loves you. He's doing this because he loves you."

She bites her quivering lip while trying to blink her tears away.

"I'm sorry for telling you...I couldn't let this out to anyone, especially him." she clutches his hand back before smiling again, "He must be on his way back."

Baekhyun continues to hold her hand firmly, making sure she feels his empathy.

"I'm sorry..."

He creases his brows, "You don't have to be..."

"I feel like I do." she says before sniffing again, "If Sehun has been giving you a hard time, then I apologize on his behalf."

He shakes his head, "He never did. Don't think about that. Sehun is a very good guy, he helped me a lot."

She sighs and stares at her own hand.

"What I fear the most is when he becomes like those other people." she mumbles, almost inaudible. "Ambitious, and will be willing to give up everything so they can reach success. That's what I fear the most."

"Never. Sehun is not that kind of person."

She sadly smiles, "Let's hope not." she looks at him, "After all, that's probably how his real parents were; leaving a poor child in the trash so they can continue living a free life, even when it costed the life of an infant."

He looks at her while her eyes pool with tears.

"And what if my son becomes like them? Where will I be?" she gulps, "I-I'll be stuck here, unable to do anything to save him because I'm useless."

"Please don't say that."

They hear the sliding door of the house being opened. The both of them went silent, Sehun's mother subtly wipes the tears forming on the side of her eyes while waiting for Sehun to come in.

"I bought you two bowls because I know one isn't enough." he chuckles while hugging a brown paper bag between his arm.

Baekhyun is in deep thought. He can hear Sehun's mother laughing as if nothing happened. But he couldn't do the same, not when her words repeatedly echo inside his mind.

"What did I miss?" he asks, almost casually. "Hey, you okay?"

Baekhyun lifts his gaze at him and flashes a small smile. He stands up from her bed as her hand eventually loses a grip of his.

"Yeah...I'll probably go now." he says. "It's been nice meeting you. I'll visit you again next time, Ma'am." he bows at her. She's smiling while looking at him, although her eyes look the same as they were when he first stepped here a while ago.

"I'll send him outside." Sehun says and his mother nods.

"Can you get me a glass of water first?" she asks and Sehun immediately walks out to get her one. She reaches out for Baekhyun's hand and the man gives it for her to pull.

When he leans to her, she places a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Watch him for me, will you?"

Baekhyun pulls away as he stands straight. She smiles at him with her same glimmering eyes. He doesn't answer, even until Sehun comes back with a glass of water to give her.

"Let's go?"

Baekhyun gulps and looks at her one last time before following outside.

When they go out, the sun has already set. The sky is already in a deep shade of blue and Baekhyun is certain he'll be finding it hard to look for his car that he parked somewhere.

"Thank you." Sehun starts off while keeping his hands in his pockets, "And sorry again for not informing you about my absence."

"You can always tell me, okay? If you also need help in taking good care of her, just call me."

Sehun chuckles, "You make it sound like you're not the busiest man right now."

Baekhyun only dismissed the tease, "More than anything, I'll still help."

The taller falls into silence.

He wants to say how much he relates with Sehun. That he once lived in a small abode, yet happy with his family. How being with them made him feel complete. How he was willing to give everything just for his sick father, who's now gone.

Once again, he relates with him.

"Your mom is so nice." he smiles, "She loves you so much."

Sehun slightly smiles, "I know that."

He nods in satisfaction. Baekhyun looks around before facing him again.

"I'll go now." he waves at him, "Remember what I told you. Call me anytime you need help."

Sehun nods.

"You're too nice." he chuckles, pursing his lips while Baekhyun continues to step away. "Too good to be true."  
  
  
  


Baekhyun walks inside the same subdivision, although he's now at the next street. He tries to remember the block where he parked his car. But something feels off.

He can hear small movements around, but he's not entirely sure if it's only the rustling of leaves from the wind.

"Shit." he cusses under his breath when he hears faint footsteps behind him but there's no one when he looks behind. He taps his phone from his pocket when it vibrates right at the moment he's panicking. He didn't even look at the screen anymore.

"Hello?"

_"Where are you?" _he hears Chanyeol's deep voice from the other line. He rolls his eyes and almost forgot the creepy moment a while ago. Chanyeol never really bothers to say hello, does he?

"I'm on my way home." he answers vaguely.

_"Where?" _his voice is filled with demand, and Baekhyun doesn't understand exactly why. It's not that late yet. And he often goes home late from work.

Of course he won't tell him he had just gone to Sehun's house. So what does he do? Make it even vaguer, of course.

"I'm going home." he says in annoyance, "Why?"

_"I'm asking where, Baekhyun!" _he pulls the phone away when he hears his voice raise. He hears him mumbling to someone from the other line but he doesn't understand, _"Open your GPS."_

"What?" there's another sound behind him so he partly runs to his car, still managing to argue with Chanyeol. "And why would I do that?"

_"Just do what I fucking said!"_

He frowns but he pulls his phone away to open his GPS. He'll be driving now anyway, he won't figure out where he just went. He lifts the phone to his ear again.

_"Did you do it?" _Baekhyun froze when he sees a figure behind him from the reflection on his car, _"Baekhyun!"_

His hand with his phone falls to his side when he's pinned on his car behind him. Baekhyun's breath hitched when he couldn't hear Chanyeol's voice anymore. He's being pressed hard on his car and it took him a while before he recognized the familiar face in front of him.

"Help me..." the man pleads under his shaking breath. "I n-need your help, please."

"M-Mr. Kim?" he breathes the witness' name. The man looks even worse than the last time he saw him, his eyes are bloodshot, dark circles under them. He's panting heavily, and his clothes are dirty and stained.

With blood.

"They killed my daughter..." he cries, "I followed you to ask help...p-please."

Baekhyun heaves heavily, "I'll take you somewhere safe."

He shakes his head while crying.

"T-They followed me here..." his cries are filled with fear, "They're t-trying to kill me too...please."

Baekhyun looks around, and when he sees no sign of danger yet, he unlocks the car and orders him to quickly go inside. He starts the engine and holds onto the wheel, but Mr. Kim grasps on his hand.

"P-Park Chanyeol..." he says, still trembling. "T-Tell him...tell him the truth."

Baekhyun shakes his head, "What truth?"

"I-I know him...I saw his face a-again...I know everything no―"

"Ah!"

Baekhyun instinctively screams and bends down when a bullet went straight inside his car. He quickly steps on the engine and starts driving as fast as he could. The sound of the bullets is continuous and he could hear the motorcycle following them wherever they go.

"KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!"

He tries to maneuver the car to the nearest roads but the motorcycle is much smaller and easier to follow them. Baekhyun's eyes pooled with tears when he couldn't seem to look at where he's heading anymore. The continuous gunshots are making him bend his head lower. He can hear some people screaming outside when they almost hit them. But what made him tremble the most is the unresponsive man beside him.

"M-Mr. Kim, are you hurt?" he asks between the chaos, "Please a-answer..."

Another gunshot almost got him on the side of his face. Baekhyun feels it. He's almost near a dead end, and it's either he kills other people, or he lets himself be killed.

And with these circumstances given, he doesn't get to choose. He couldn't think straight.

People scream and run when they saw his car coming to their way, and Baekhyun decides; they don't deserve it. So he hits the car on the side of the road, where its front receives a painful impact against a tree. He bounces back on his seat before his head hits on the wheel and a bunch of broken glasses cut his skin.

He couldn't move, his left foot is stuck under him and it hurts like hell. He can barely see anything around, and it feels like every inch of him is screaming in pain.

"Mr. K-Kim..." he tries to reach for him but the man is lifelessly leaning in front of him, completely unresponsive now. Baekhyun is almost certain, he's gone.

The screams of horror become louder outside. And with his blurred vision, Baekhyun sees a man walking towards his car. His face is covered with a black helmet and he clutches something in his hand. When he gets nearer, he points the gun to the man beside Baekhyun, no matter how unresponsive he is, this man didn't care.

Baekhyun's eyes pooled with tears.

"N-No...No, _please_..." he weakly pleads, but he's too weak to do anything. Then he hears it. He sees it. How the man mercilessly shots the poor witness beside him. As if he's not killed enough. As if he didn't suffer enough.

Baekhyun closes his eyes. He couldn't look at it. No, he won't.

He shuts his eyes tight, waiting for the same fate to happen to him. He waits for another gunshot, the one to end him. And it comes. But he doesn't feel another pain aside from what he already has.

The people's shouts sounded more distant, but they're still there. He can still hear them. Maybe he got shot. Maybe he's numb because he's dead.

But Baekhyun hears the door behind him opening. His face full of wounds and blood is held in a pair of warm hands. The shouts of urgency and more gunshots are muffled for him. He tries to open his eyes, but they won't.

He's feeling tired.

"Baekhyun..." his face is being shaken between those hands. Those big and warm hands. And Baekhyun feels like crying. "B-Baekhyun...look at me, please...p-please, don't sleep." he feels wetness and warmth on his cheek too, and oh, how he loves it so much.

He's really tired.

"B-Baek..." he hears the same plead before he loses consciousness, "N-Not you too..._please._"


	14. 13-Terrible

_“How come something so beautiful…” he mumbled under his breath, “also makes us sad?”_

_It was warm, and bright. Warm and bright. It felt so full._

_Only one person could make him feel things, sometimes even at the same time. And the greatest thing he’s thankful for was having that one person for himself._

_“Sad?”_

_His breath slightly tickled against his ear, making him smile a little. He held onto the knees on both his sides, embracing them closer to him._

_“The sunset.” he leaned his head on the crook of his neck, “Look at it. Doesn’t it make you feel a bit lonely?”_

_“I’m not sad.”_

_He leaned his head back even more, allowing him to get a glimpse of the serious face behind him. His eyes crinkled._

_“I am.”_

_The boy creased his brows because of this, confused by his statement when he’s smiling brighter than the setting sun in front of them._

_He was sitting between his legs, where his head was leaning on the other’s shoulder and his damped hair was on his cheek. He caressed the knees beside him with his thumb while a pair of big arms wrapped him effortlessly in his body._

_Their clothes were slightly wet because of their unwiped bodies. The water from the river was a little colder that day, yet the wind blowing against them on their way up to the hill was warm. From the long, big rock they’re sitting at, the wide fields were visible, and they couldn’t get more beautiful now that the hue from the sun reflected against them. With the use of both his thumb and index finger, he measured the cottage on the middle of the fields; where it looked smaller from where they were._

_“Chanyeol?”_

_He didn’t hear any response for a while. He was thinking of calling again but he heard a hum right then._

_“What do you think will happen ten years from now?”_

_He heard a chuckle because of that. He looked up to him and he saw him still looking at the fields with a smile on his lips._

_“I don’t know.” his other hand left his waist and before he even got disappointed, he felt it on his forehead, pushing his hair back for him to see his face better. “Why are you asking about the future now?”_

_“Do you think we’ll still be together by then?”_

_He looks back to the view in front of them, and the sky was already a mix of blue and darker orange. The hand on his hair crawled down around his neck, and he felt a deep kiss on his temple._

_“We’ll always be together.”_

_Baekhyun shut his eyes because of the continuous kisses on the side of his face._

_“Really?” he cooed and met one of them with his lips when he faced on his side, “You won’t ever get tired? Like…of this? Of me?”_

_Chanyeol stared at him directly, and he’s quite thankful they’re sitting because his knees felt like melting._

_“Never.” he said, and his voice itself made Baekhyun lean closer to kiss him again. “You will…probably, but I won’t.”_

_The man narrowed his eyes at him, thinking that he didn’t mean it. Chanyeol subtly gulped, avoiding his gaze to look at the sky again. He almost said it, but he still couldn’t. What was wrong with him? He had the chance and he blew it._

_“And if that happens…” Baekhyun asked further, voice filled with humor. “what will you do?”_

_Chanyeol shifted on his seat to place his chin on his shoulder, it made Baekhyun face back in front._

_“If you ever get tired of me?”_

_Baekhyun nods, no matter how impossible it sounds._

_“Try and try.” he answered, “Until it works out again, until you love me again.”_

_Baekhyun didn’t say anything, but he maintained a smile._

_“I’ll remind you everything, take you to all our places, do our things, until you realize what you’ll be losing and that you’ll never find a man like me.” he grinned and Baekhyun didn’t even glare at him. He only responded with a laugh._

_As if it would happen._

_“But if you’re really tired…” Chanyeol’s words become a mumble, “and you wake up one day, and I’m not there, and…you really don’t want it anymore…”_

_Baekhyun remained silent, waiting for his next words that took a little while to follow._

_“Then just tell me.” Chanyeol breathed, “If you realize that loving me isn’t in you anymore, then I’ll set you free.”_

_Baekhyun pursed his lips, his eyes were fixed on the place where the sun was just setting a while ago. Now it was only a dark sky._

_And he looked at Chanyeol._

_“You would?”_

_Chanyeol tried to smile, “Yeah.” he chuckled, “It will hurt like hell, but…it’s okay. If that’s what you want.”_

_Baekhyun swallowed the forming lump in his throat. Chanyeol looked at him when he didn’t answer. The shorter held onto the back of his head and pulled him for a kiss._

_“Really, Chanyeol…” he laughed and kissed him again despite the twinge in his chest, “As if.”_

_The sunset was really a bit saddening, wasn’t it?_

There were no sunsets, warm hugs or kisses. It was only a pulsating pain all over his body. His head. And maybe his heart. All of them feels heavy, but the thing in his chest seemed to be the heaviest of them all.

He’s crying even before he opens his eyes. But there are no sound or sobs, just hot tears falling from his eyes down to his wounded face.

“Baekhyun?” he hears a voice calling for his name as he slowly opens his eyes. There’s a sound of motion from everywhere around him, “Baek? Press the nurse button!”

His tears are already drying up on his face, and he doesn’t know if anyone noticed it. But he adjusts his sight, even when he can definitely tell from the voices alone the people who are surrounding him. And he can’t hear what he was looking for.

Their voices are muffled, like something coming from a cave. It may be from Jongdae, or Minseok, he doesn’t know. Baekhyun’s eyes roam around him trying to spot someone. And he becomes more certain, yet it still hurt.

_You wake up one day, and I’m not there, and you really don’t want it anymore…_

“Baekhyun! Thank goodness!”

He ignores them. Did he sleep long enough? Then why is he still exhausted?

_Then I’ll set you free._

“How did it go?” he rubs the bridge of his nose while pressing the phone closer to his ear, “I’m expecting a lead by tonight.”

Minseok steps out of the room to see him sitting on the waiting area, completely serious and obviously exhausted. His elbow is on his knee while his other hand grips tight on his phone. The assistant had to stay where he is when his brows crease even more.

“And what do you mean by that?” he almost hissed, “I don’t give a fuck if he’s dead, I want leads. I want to know who he was working for and his intentions and I expect you to do your fucking job.”

He ends the call in a snap, grasping it tight while gritting his teeth. Until now, there’s no lead to who the man might be. But he’s a trained assassin, and no one recognizes his face. It’s also not helping that they had to improvise stories to the police that this might be an attack from business rivals.

Even when Chanyeol completely knows it’s not.

It was never after Baekhyun. The witness was clearly the main target, and he did what he was told; to silence him. Chanyeol doesn’t know who could’ve done that but he’s only going back the main people involved in his suspicion. The man had no plans on keeping Baekhyun alive just as Chanyeol saw him. And he doesn’t know what he could’ve done if he didn’t shoot his gun first. If Baekhyun is killed.

Something in his chest twists so badly, it’s like it is being torn into million pieces while being ignited by fire as well. Chanyeol’s hands run through his hair as he lets his elbows rest on his knees. Wrath fills him up whenever he tries to think about that exact moment. When he almost fell into his knees out of fear, out of his pleads.

He has never been so afraid.

“Chanyeol…”

He remains holding his head in frustration. His side glance only reaches Minseok’s shoes a meter away from him. But he can feel him looking at him with the same sympathy he’s been getting since the very start.

“He’s awake.”

It woke something in him up as well, but he didn’t move. He doesn’t know what to say. But it also felt like he had let go of something so heavy in his chest. It’s easier to breathe this time.

His throat feels dry. And he doesn’t know how many times he gulped when Minseok said that. He feels such a strong urge to stand up from where he’s sitting, and check what’s happening inside. But the bigger burden in him kept him seated and stiff.

_Is he looking for me?_

He only asks in his mind. But at the same moment, his eyes meet Minseok’s, who’s still looking at him while waiting for any of his move. He sighs when Chanyeol only responded with a tired glance.

“He’s not speaking yet.” Minseok mutters, “But the nurses are already checking up on him.”

Despite so many hours that passed, he vividly remembers it. He can recall every single thing in his head. How his trembling hands held his unconscious body close to him. How he could feel his heartbeat against his ears and throat. How he bit his lip so hard while trying to prevent tears from falling even more when he carried him to the stretcher while stains of blood, _Baekhyun’s blood, _covered his shirt. That moment, Chanyeol was continuously mumbling something, and maybe it was a prayer.

“Do you want to see him?” Minseok asks when he remained mummed.

When did he ever not?

But the last thing he wants is to inflict him more pain. At least more than what he already gave him.

He shakes his head while forcing a small smile to Minseok.

“I’ll stay here.”

And maybe wait for him to sleep again so he can freely see him without having to look directly at his eyes.

“I heard you’re a few years from graduating?” he offers the warmest smile to her, “Congratulations.”

Yeri smiles timidly. Her glance travels from him to her brother on the bed every now and then.

“Thank you…” she responds. Chanyeol can see that she still couldn’t look at him directly in the eyes.

She’s all grown up, not the same kid who will jump on his back and bite his ear whenever he visited their house at South Jeolla. Now is the first time he sees her again after all those years, and it reminded him even more that everything has really changed.

Mrs. Ahn is quiet beside them, smiling for a little while even when it looks so forced. Her eyes linger on her sleeping son on the bed and she bites her lip ever now and then, as if trying to keep it from quivering.

They didn’t ask, not even say a word, about what happened.

And that worried Chanyeol. He badly wants to explain everything, from the start to finish, but he’s worried that maybe they don’t want to know about it as well. It’ll be too much information for them to process.

“Chanyeol-ah,” he flinches from his deep thoughts when Mrs. Ahn gently calls him, “have you rested?”

He keeps his arms on his chest firmly crossed because of the coldness and manages to flash a reassuring smile.

“Yes…” lie. His eyes are a bit puffy from all the unfinished naps he had on the small couch whenever Baekhyun has to be checked or take medicine. He’s not the one who does it but he’s standing on the corner of the room every time, making sure he’s fine no matter how sleepless he is.

“You look so tired.” Mrs. Ahn points out with a small smile, “Please go home first and sleep. You might get sick as well.”

“I’m okay.” he nods, “Jongdae drops by as well to visit him and look after him for a while. But I think I can manage until Baekhyun’s allowed to go home.”

“You can get a private nurse so you can rest for a while, hyung…” Yeri says that made him smile. After all, she still calls him the same.

“No, it’s fine.” Chanyeol says. From what happened, he doesn’t know if he can trust anyone to be around Baekhyun without him being there as well. He doesn’t know if he’ll even be able to rest if he can’t see him.

“His friends from home have been asking me.” Mrs. Ahn says, “They’ve seen the news, and they’re all shocked. Everything happened so fast, when he’s introduced to the public then to this.”

Chanyeol nods.

“I understand.” is the only thing he was able to say. It’s really shocking, of course. And he’s not surprised if they’re thinking about the same reason behind it.

“It’s probably because of business issues, isn’t it?” Mrs. Ahn hesitantly asks, and something about her gaze implies more than that.

Chanyeol can’t say that it’s about Baekhyun trying to protect a witness from the murder of his parents. He can’t say that now, can he?

“That’s what we’re looking into…” he answers vaguely, “the investigators are still working on it.”

She slowly nods, though he’s not entirely sure if she buys it.

Baekhyun’s eyes are still hard to open. His head still feels heavy, just like his whole body. He just really wants to sleep, even if it doesn’t do any good to his head. But this time, the first person he sees when he opened his eyes is his mother, and it’s enough for him to completely open them.

“M-Mom…”

Chanyeol looks at him, heart crashing when he sees Baekhyun immediately bursting into tears even when he’s too weak for them. His head is tilted to their direction, tears brimming down from his already swollen eyes. Chanyeol looks away.

Mrs. Ahn gives a quick glance at Chanyeol before walking to Baekhyun’s bed, leaving him and Yeri at the corner. He couldn’t hear what they’re talking about but Baekhyun is sobbing like a child while he holds tight on her hand.

What have you done, Chanyeol?

“Do you think my brother has changed, hyung?”

Yeri asks beside him. He looks at her but her eyes are focused on her brother being calmed by their mother. There’s a hint of smile on her face but it’s not the happy or humorous one.

“I…” he badly wants to laugh at his situation. He’s being asked if Baekhyun changed? _Baekhyun? _“I don’t think he did…”

She only nods, letting the both of them be covered by silence for a while as they watch Baekhyun and Mrs. Ahn.

“He did, actually.” Yeri speaks again, “He used to want the simplest things. Baekhyung. And now it’s ironic that I’m seeing him suffer because of being in a complicated situation. The brother I knew wouldn’t have let himself be involved in…this.”

Chanyeol gulps when he figures out where this is going.

“Not everything is as simple as it seems.”

“True.” Yeri agrees in an instant, “But why would he choose this kind of life when he’s obviously suffocated by its complexity? No one’s depriving him of the simple life he loved, but he suddenly decided to drop it for an unknown reason.”

Not really unknown.

“What do you think is keeping him like this, Chanyeol-hyung?” she smiles at him sadly, “Or rather, what do you think has pushed him into this that he felt like he had no choice? I wish I knew. He never really told me all those years.”

Yeri is speaking in such a casual manner. As if they’re just talking about their hobbies. She has always been like that. But now, her words just dropped the heaviest weight in Chanyeol’s chest. Just like that.

She didn’t speak after that anymore, and Chanyeol is only staring into space. Unlike her, he’s wishing the exact opposite. He wished he doesn’t know about the reason why. He wished it wasn’t him.

“I cooked chicken broth for you.” Mrs. Ahn looks at the basket on the table filled with fruits from his business comrades, “And we brought fruits too. We didn’t know you already had a lot here.”

Baekhyun only stares at her, face still stained with tears from the crying he did when he first saw her. He’s still holding onto her hand with both of his.

She roams her eyes around the room filled with expensive get well soon flowers. She looks at anything but him.

“So many people really care for you…” she smiles, eventually slipping her hand off of Baekhyun’s hold.

“I’m sorry for worrying you…” Baekhyun gulps.

She bites her lip, “There’s nothing new about that.”

“And I-Im sorry…” he’s interrupted by a sob again, “f-for everything.”

His mother finally looks at him this time. She doesn’t say anything, but her glistening eyes against the light is enough to say a lot.

“I m-missed you, Eomma…” he finds it hard to talk between his sobs and his wounds are hurting, “I-I’ve been so alone…”

She faintly sniffs, shaking her head while she gently rubs his fingers.

“You were never.”

Baekhyun shuts his eyes tight, firmly shaking his head in the process. Regrets and questions began coming in.

“There are so many of us here for you.” now she clutches on her own hand, “In the end, everything is still your choice. Who you keep and who you push away. Isn’t that what I always tell you?”

He takes another painful gulp before sniffing. His eyes fall on his sister on the distance, beside Chanyeol. They’re both looking at him but Yeri smiles at him, while Chanyeol was fast enough to look away. He doesn’t know how the smile he responded looked.

“Everything has…gone wrong, because I didn’t listen to you.” he mumbles under his heavy breath, gaze lingering on Chanyeol before going back to his mother’s face.

“You’ve seen that coming.” Mrs. Ahn responds without hesitation, “But you were so satisfied and hopeful of your decision that I didn’t want to stop you.”

So is he still as hopeful and satisfied? No. Is he seeing the reason he had the same way like before? No.

_Congratulations for coming into your senses when it’s too late, Baekhyun._

He’s still looking for the words to answer when the door of his room opens, revealing Minseok who looks taken aback when he sees the visitors in the room. He gulps before bowing at them, then he glances at Chanyeol and Baekhyun respectively.

“Chairman Byun is here.” he says with a hint of urgency, “He went straight here from his flight.”

Chanyeol straightens up from his seat as he looks at Baekhyun. But the latter doesn’t seem to care even just a bit when he holds onto his mother’s wrist.

“We’re going home tonight.” Mrs. Ahn tries to smile at him after looking at Minseok, “We just…w-wanted to make sure you’re fine.”

She untangles his hand around her and Baekhyun’s heart crashes even more.

“N-No…” he pleads, “Can y-you stay a little longer? P-Please?”

He doesn’t know how he’ll stay sane without them. He badly wants to pack his bags and go with them, but he knows it’s not that easy.

She only smiles and leans to his face to place a quick peck on his forehead. Even the way she smells makes him yearn for them even more. His eyes are watering again and his mother shakes her head as if telling him to stop.

“Don’t stress yourself out too much. Rest when you’re tired.” she nods reassuringly at the same time the door opens again, “Everything will be fine.”

“Baekhyun-ah?”

Her gentle voice got nothing on a much louder and intimidating voice that entered the room, but Baekhyun’s focus is just on her words. It wasn’t followed since she quickly turns away from him, wiping the side of her eyes as she subtly walks back to where Yeri is. Baekhyun bites his lip while still looking at them.

“What happened?!” his father’s voice eagerly demands for an answer around the security men around him, then he focuses on Chanyeol who’s now standing on the other side of Baekhyun’s bed, “Chanyeol?”

“It was an accident, Sir.” Chanyeol’s voice is now stoic.

“Accident?” he’s voice rises, “Someone was trying to kill him!”

Chanyeol’s eyes look straight at the Chairman, and Baekhyun shivers just from this. He knows what he’s thinking, but Baekhyun believes otherwise.

Thankfully, the old man doesn’t notice this since his questions are continuous, almost yelling at the supposed security team to look after Baekhyun for not doing their jobs. Chanyeol clenches his jaw as he takes a deep breath; he was only able to calm down when he catches Baekhyun’s eyes.

“Then what are the leads?” he asks, more calmly this time but the urgency is still there as he waits for Chanyeol’s answer. “Wait.”

His eyes found the other two unfamiliar people in the room who are quietly listening and waiting for their perfect time to leave. The Chairman raises his brows at them, then to Chanyeol.

“They are…” Chanyeol pauses, deliberating whether he should tell this now or not. “Baekhyun’s adoptive mother and sister. Min Hayoung and Ahn Yeri.”

The Chairman looks at them even more. Yeri partly bows out of courtesy while Mrs. Ahn keeps her head down.

“Oh, I’m sorry for not introducing myself sooner.” the Chairman walks to them as he offers his hand, “Byun Yeongseo, Baekhyun’s father.”

Mrs. Ahn purses her lips, but she shakes his hand anyway.

“Pleased to meet you, Sir.”

“It’s great to finally meet you. Though I’m a bit surprised.” he nods, “Don’t get me wrong…I just wasn’t aware that you and my son are on speaking terms again?”

Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun, who’s closed to tearing up again when his mother glances at him. The guilt is filling his chest, and he knows Baekhyun feels the same. They involved innocent people in this lie.

Mrs. Ahn forces a smile and was quick enough to ride along with it.

“We just talked to him again now after so many years. It’s very sudden as well, I apologize Sir.”

There’s something about how the Chairman smiled and Chanyeol wished Baekhyun isn’t there to witness it anymore.

“Now that he’s an heir…I see.” he nods slowly. Yeri’s face flashes full distaste from this, but her mother holds her wrist before she even does anything, “But it’s good. At least you’re not estranged anymore. My son needs more support system that he can get.”

“Right.” the woman nods and bows again, “We’re leaving now, we have a bus ride to catch.”

Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol with his pleading gaze, and the man knows what to do. He faces the Chairman as he speaks.

“I’ll just send them outside.”

The Chairman still has his brows raised, though he nods as a response. He flashes another smile at them.

“I hope I can talk to you some other time. This isn’t really the right moment, is it?” he chuckles before looking at Chanyeol, “Come back quick, yeah Chanyeol? We have a lot to talk about.”

Chanyeol purses his lips before nodding. He leaves Baekhyun alone with the Chairman to guide the two women outside the hospital room. Yeri’s slightly frowning while Mrs. Ahn still has a trace of bitter smile on her lips.

“I’m sorry…I’m really sorry.”

He speaks as soon as they reached the hospital hall. They’re still walking but it’s not rushed as it was before.

“Eomma, what was that?” Yeri hisses in anger, “What was he trying to imply? That we’re here because we want Baekhyung’s money?”

Chanyeol gulps. Her mother slightly shakes her arm, trying to keep her calm.

“Yeri…just don’t.” she says, still calm after everything. Chanyeol can’t say he blames Yeri. Maybe if he’s the one on her shoes, then he would’ve felt the same.

Mrs. Ahn steps away from Yeri to walk closer to him. Chanyeol repeats the same words again.

“I’m really sorry…”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for Yeri too, you know she doesn’t know anything.” she mumbles. Chanyeol feels even worse.

They really can’t hide anything from Baekhyun’s mother. She can figure it all out by herself and by this time, Chanyeol knows she’s aware of everything just based from the way she knew both him and Baekhyun. And Chanyeol couldn’t believe she’s still talking to him, treating him like her son, still.

“We need to go now.” she clutches his arm one last time, “Thank you, Chanyeol.”

“Please let me drive you to the terminal.” he says despite the Chairman’s order to go back in an instant.

“No need.” Mrs. Ahn remembers it too, “Go back inside, Chanyeol.”

She starts walking away while still looking back at him. And yes, she must’ve figured out what is really happening now and the last person she should trust her son with is Chanyeol himself.

“Just…take good care of Baekhyun, okay?”

Yet, she does anyway.

Chanyeol couldn’t stop overthinking unless he made sure that they reach their destination safely, so he ordered a few of his men to look after them. He’s still in deep thought when he goes back to Baekhyun’s room, where the Chairman is now sitting on a chair beside his son’s bed, looking intimidatingly serious. Baekhyun looks into the empty space, still distraught.

“Chanyeol.” the Chairman starts off when he reaches the other side of the bed, “Why did this happen under your watch?”

He doesn’t answer immediately. Baekhyun’s eyes fall on his clutched fists on his sides, and he knows how much Chanyeol is just trying so hard to control himself.

To act clueless is one thing, but to blame other people is another. The Alpha surely doesn’t do only one of them. Chanyeol grits his teeth before speaking.

“I’m sorry, Sir.” he says, “I will take good care of him better from now on.”

Baekhyun only looks at the both of them every now and then with his blank gaze. He knows that Chanyeol is thinking that the Chairman is the one behind it but he couldn’t shrug this feeling off of him. This feeling of disagreement.

Things are starting to scramble and they do not add up. Baekhyun cannot point out how, but he doesn’t think the same way as Chanyeol this time.

He’s too tired to even think, or to figure it all out. Everything hasn’t sunk in to him yet. Just thinking about what happened makes him so anxious and distraught.

His strong urge to run and escape becomes firmer. But then, what does it make him? A coward?

“We will be focusing on this case silently. We cannot have his name stained to the public this way. We’ll deal with this privately.” the Chairman stands up with a huge sigh. He places his hands on his waist, “And the wedding?”

“I’m postponing it, Sir.” Chanyeol responds, “I’m talking to the organizer to move the date so Baekhyun can recover and rest—”

“We’ll push through it.”

Both men looked at him, both unsure if he’s the one who spoke or if he meant it. The Chairman chuckles after a while but Chanyeol remains looking at him, clueless about what he has in mind.

“Baekhyun-ah…you’re still injured.” his father points out as if it isn’t obvious, “Don’t worry, Chanyeol isn’t going anywhere. You’ll get married no matter when.”

“No. I’m recovering fast. The doctor said I’ll be able to go home a few days from now. My wounds can be covered.” Baekhyun speaks continuously, without a trace of hesitation. “We’ll continue the wedding.”

They’re covered by silence, the Chairman looks at him in awe while Chanyeol is looking so confused. His arms are crossed over his chest.

Baekhyun can’t prolong this for another day. The span of time he gave himself is enough.

“Alright…but I’ll take responsibility over the company this week. You rest.” the Chairman says, now sounding humorous than before. “You really can’t wait to marry each other, can you?” he shakes his head as he chuckles.

Baekhyun smiles bitterly as he tilts his head to his side, looking coldly into the space. Chanyeol doesn’t fail to notice this.

“Can’t wait.” Baekhyun mumbles, almost sarcastically. “Now can I be alone for a while? I want to rest.”

x

True enough, Baekhyun was discharged from the hospital a few days later. He still finds it hard to walk to he uses clutches, while a few bandages cover the side of his cheek. He still looks so pale, yet never less attractive. Chanyeol didn’t know if the people from the hospital halls are looking at Baekhyun because they recognized him or because he just looked that good.

From the hospital to their house, the ride was painfully silent. Baekhyun is leaning on the other side of the car like how he usually does when he’s with Chanyeol. He can see the smaller’s eyelashes moving, indicating that he’s awake. But he didn’t move at all within the whole ride.

Once they’re close to home, Chanyeol finds the courage to finally say a word.

“I might go to the office today.” he says no matter how unresponsive Baekhyun is, “Do you want me to stay at home?”

Baekhyun only shakes his head, right after the question. Chanyeol actually expected this but he still bothered to ask.

He nods slowly.

“You’re meeting Jennie today, by the way. She’s consulting you the final details for the wedding since she’s heading to New Zealand before us.”

Baekhyun shrugs as the car stops in front of the house, “Yeah, sure.” he says before hopping out of it on his own.

Chanyeol sighs heavily as he watches him struggling to step up on the stairs. The maids are surrounding him, offering help but he motions them to not come any closer. He doesn’t know when and how Baekhyun became this stubborn and defiant.

“Let him.” he tells the maids when they look at him for help. Chanyeol watches Baekhyun until he reaches the end of the stairs, eventually walking towards his room without uttering a single word. He hears the door closing right after.

This is becoming more and more difficult.

Baekhyun wakes up from his short nap when someone knocks on his door. He couldn’t help glaring at it while he rubs his eyes. He was dreaming of something but he couldn’t remember it since it was cut off by this noise. He fixes the laptop and files on his bed as the knocks continue. Moving a lot is still a struggle, but he can manage very well.

“Wait!” he hisses and the knocks stop. He slowly walks to the door using his clutches and opens it, “What?”

The young maid bows at him, looking apologetic when she realized she just bothered his sleep based from his puffy eyes.

“Sorry Sir…” she mumbles, “But Ms. Jennie is downstairs. She said you have a meeting.”

He sighs and almost rolled his eyes. So that’s it, huh.

“Right. Tell her to wait.” he says before slamming the door close. He began getting ready but it took him a lot longer since he’s partly disabled and nothing really interests him to move faster. Not when he’s seeing her again.

When he got downstairs, Jennie is sitting on the couch but immediately stands up when she sees him walking down in clutches. She partly runs to the stairs to lend a hand but he motions her to stop as well, making her step back when he does it all on his own.

Baekhyun sits on the other couch and Jennie silently goes back to her own, looking so uncomfortable because of their awkward setup. Especially when Baekhyun’s slightly frowning as well and she can’t find the proper words to begin with. She really wants to ask about his condition but Baekhyun’s face tells her clearly that she better go straight to the business so she won’t have to hear anything from him.

“So…let’s start now, shall we?”

“Sure.”

She opens the portfolio and notebook she had to discuss the overall progress and final adjustments for the wedding. Baekhyun keeps mum throughout everything, speaking when it’s only needed. He listens to her this time and now that he actually pays attention to it, he realizes that everything is almost done. He really is marrying Chanyeol in more than a week and it still feels unreal.

Who would’ve thought they will actually end up married, but solely for business and his nasty plans? Touching story.

“Those are the things I’ve come up based from your preferences. Like what you wanted, I kept it simple and minimal.” Jennie clasps her hands on her lap while Baekhyun looks at the sample design of the venue, “Do you…like it?”

Baekhyun purses his lips while he nods, “Yeah, it’s good.”

Jennie smiles. It’s perfect, actually. Just the way he imagined it to be. This girl really does everything perfectly, why is it so unfair? She’s here being so pretty and nice while Baekhyun couldn’t even look at her straight in the eyes because he’s ashamed. Compared to her, he’s disabled, he looks terrible and Chanyeol doesn’t really love him. He’s a mess, honestly.

He slams the portfolio close as he forces a smile, “Great. Now is that all?”

Maybe there’s a bag of bitterness in his head that popped and had burst inside him when he hit his head from that accident. That’s the only explanation why he’s being overly insecure and grumpy a week before his goddamn wedding.

“Uh, Baekhyun…” Jennie begins, “I actually want to ask you about something as well…”

Baekhyun raises both his brows, “About what?”

“I know this sounds weird but…” she bites her lip, “are we good? I mean, do you have any issue with me or something?”

He doesn’t answer, and Jennie becomes even more certain of it.

“I just want to know what I could’ve possibly done…” she says weakly, opposed to her usual cheerful voice. “I really want to be in good terms with you since I’m organizing the wedding and…”

Baekhyun grits his teeth as he finds the words to answer. His heart is rummaging against his chest.

“We don’t need to be good friends for you to organize the wedding effectively. Look, you’ve even done it now, haven’t you?” the bitterness in his tone is still there.

Jennie looks even more conflicted.

“H-Have I done something wrong?”

Baekhyun clenches his jaw. He wants to stop talking anymore but something in him urges him to burst out.

“Look, Jennie. I’m not saying anything about whatever the hell is going on between you and Chanyeol. I’ve always been so silent about it. Did you hear a word from me? No.” he pants heavily, “But isn’t asking for us to be friends a little too much? Huh? What for?”

Jennie looks at him, wide-eyed.

“Me and Chanyeol?”

“Yeah. You and my future groom.” he spat mockingly, “Whatever is going on between you, I ignored it. Do you think I’m the martyr type of a person? Then you’re right. But please, can you just…” he pauses to gulp, “stop trying to slap your affair right on my face? I stopped caring about what you possibly do behind my back but try to be decent when I’m there, you know? Can you even try being so subtle when I’m there and stop making me feel like a complete shit?” he chuckles, “And oh, also, try not to get photographed when you’re sneaking out because I already have enough packages of your goddamn pictures!”

Jennie remains speechless. She blinks rapidly when her eyes start glistening.

“Baekhyun…why would you think about it like that?” she gulps, “I-Is this because we’re close before?”

Baekhyun shakes his head, “does it matter? I already know and I’m not asking you to stop.”

“We’re like siblings.” she mumbles weakly, unable to fathom everything that was thrown to her. “His father was my godfather and Chanyeol took care of me in college because I was alone in the States.”

She quickly wipes her eyes and Baekhyun wasn’t able to speak anymore.

“He’s like my brother. And I willingly offered my help when he told me he’s finally marrying you.” she says with her breaking voice, “I can’t believe you assumed that he’s having an affair…with me.”

Something in his gut is clenching. It feels terrible. So terrible. And he cannot find the courage to speak again.

Jennie sniffs and picks her brochures from the table with her bag. She looks at Baekhyun, still trying to prevent her tears.

“I can’t believe you think I’m that kind of girl.”

It was her last words before she walks out of the mansion.

Baekhyun is left alone in an agonizing silence. He looks around after spacing out for so long and then asks himself what he had done. He slowly walks back to his room, almost getting himself into another accident because of his blurry vision.

Out of everything; humiliation, pain and exhaustion that filled him up for the whole day, Baekhyun breaks down on his bed. He sobs heavily, continuously telling himself that he messed it all up again. He fucking messed it all up. And because he assumed. Because he was naive enough to believe whoever sent those goddamn packages.

“Baekhyun?” he hears a voice from the door but he couldn’t stop now. He’s so ashamed of himself. He’s so ashamed for what he said to Jennie. And how will he be able to bring that back?

How could he hurt her like that? He's even worse than Chanyeol.

“Baek, what’s wrong?” someone sits beside him and he immediately recognizes Chanyeol’s perfume without removing his hands on his eyes. He must be here to ask about the meeting and wedding concerns. Yet now he feels his large, warm hands trying to put his hands down to look at him properly.

“What happened?” Chanyeol keeps his face between his hands, and this is the closest he’s been to him after a long time. He can see Chanyeol’s face very well, and his eyes that are directed at him with concern.

“I-I’m such a terrible person…” Baekhyun sobs between his hands, “I f-fucked everything up…”

Before he knows it, he’s enveloped in a tight embrace. And he held onto his arms right then, allowing himself to be comforted in such warmth.

Baekhyun calms himself down. It’s ironic how Chanyeol can do it that simple. It’s one of the few things that he doesn’t wish to end from this setup. But of course, it has to. It will have to, eventually.

Chanyeol pulls away, but his arm is still around his shoulders. Baekhyun looks so small and vulnerable between his arms, and his hair is sticking onto his forehead. His glimmering eyes are stained with the tears he shed while his nose is slightly red and his lips are unconsciously protruded.

Chanyeol holds his breath while his eyes are fixed on it. Baekhyun stares at him directly. From his eyes that are on his lips, then down to his lips as well. Baekhyun clutches tighter onto his arm. The sense of control he usually has is nowhere to be found.

“_Fuck…_” Chanyeol cusses under his breath, and Baekhyun is too close to feel it. The questions and wedding concerns are long forgotten when he tilts his head up by his cheek and leans closer, “I’m really…sorry for this.”


	15. 14-Sunset and Sea

_Fuck them._

_Seriously, fuck them._

_They just don't know how much you want to wipe those smug expressions off their faces. You want to erase them permanently, and you can do that. You're capable._

_But it will only show that you care. Of what they think, of what they say about you. And you don't. You don't, right?_

_So that's what you do, you grit your teeth but you focus on your goddamn lunch. The lunch priced like a gold bar that you bought from your school canteen. It doesn't even taste that good._

_Everything is not really as perfect as it seems. And you hated it, because it should be. At least for you._

_You grip tighter on your fork, almost looking like you're ready to stab anyone who comes near. And maybe you are. Maybe you're ready to stab this student walking inside the cafeteria, with his hair neatly styled like his uniform. You look at him with distaste, from head to toe. You look at his crinkling eyes behind the round specs as he smiled at the other students. You look at the way he grasps on his lunch box, while his other arm is filled with your textbooks._

_Your eyes are like daggers, but you also droop your head down lower to stare longer. Even his voice irritates you. But what? You're still staring at him. You're still wasting time to observe his every move and dismiss the food in front of you. The way his presence and his smile made the others spend a little while looking at him. Including you. Yes, you. And what's worse is you know what they say about him behind his back. Even worse than what they say about you._

_And that's what you hate the most._

_So when his gaze falls on where you are, it's suddenly harder to swallow your food. Harder to breathe. But you still look at him back, coldly. His pace becomes slower, and the big smile on his face slightly fades. Why? You just want to ask. Why?_

_It was encrypted in your mind; how he rapidly blinks, then how the big smile turned into a small, flustered one. And you see the faint shade of pink on his cheeks. The confidence and usual cheerful vibe is suddenly nowhere in him. Instead, he avoids your gaze and uneasily turns the other way to leave, almost dropping his precious books in the process._

_You look at him. You do it still, don't you? Until the moment he sat on the farthest table he could find, you can still see him. You try to see him. What is wrong with you?_

_You don't even care about the mocking laughter from the table near you. You're focused on this small kid, who's getting into your nerves. In every way possible._

_"Hey, elf kid."_

_Your gaze leaves him to let it go back to your food, then to the group of bullies right across you. They're looking at you with the same smug faces. But now, you're too preoccupied with a different face in mind to even want to erase them._

_"That top student really likes you." someone from them said that made the other wheeze, "I bet he's gay."_

_You don't look at them. You focus on your food. Your already cold food. Their words echo in your head, but the effect is somewhere in your chest._

_"Do you like him too?" someone even added, "An antisocial kid and the gay top student..."_

_"Match made in heaven!"_

_Their loud laughter reverberates in the hall. The students nearby are trying not to laugh as well. You feel so ridiculed. And you used to not really care about this. So why now? Why are your fists tightened on your lap?_

_Is it true, elf kid? You like the top student as well?_

_x _

"I still can't believe it..."

He looks at his own reflection on the big mirror while fixing the sleeves of his shirt.

"You're getting married." Jongdae raises his brows while he watches him on the bed, "In this beautiful place, and you look good as well. Don't you think that's a little unfair?"

Baekhyun looks at him through the mirror. He smiles at his friend who's still looking at him in awe. Though his smile doesn't reach his eyes.

"Don't give me that smile." Jongdae narrows his eyes at him, "I'm just trying to make you feel better. Forget about Chanyeol, goddammit."

Baekhyun chuckles, "He's my groom."

"Yes. And he's also the twat who tried to kiss you a week ago, then reject you right after." Jongdae sarcastically says, "And what did he say? _Sorry? _What the fuck is that?"

_He crashes his lips against him. And the thoughts in his head scrambled, he's drowned into it. He held the big hand on his face and kissed him back. The other one held on the back of Chanyeol's head to kiss him deeper._

_It was that simple. Everything he holds on to has been put into waste. He's ready to give in. He's ready to give himself again._

_But he was gently pushed back._

_"S-Sorry..." Chanyeol blinked while shaking his head, looking distraught. Baekhyun stared at him, dumbfounded. "I'm sorry."_

_Then in a snap, Baekhyun was alone in his room, feeling crushed into smaller, and unfixable pieces._

Anyway.

What difference does it make? Nothing. What does it make Baekhyun for hoping there's something more to it? Idiot.

"Loosen up!"

He flinches when Jongdae claps right on his ear while he's spacing out. He's standing behind Baekhyun while his hands are on his waist.

"Look at the brighter side, Baek." Jongdae taps his shoulder, "You're close to the goal. After this, your plans will be easier to execute. Before you know it, it's all done." he said that made Baekhyun look at him.

He sighs heavily before nodding.

"Right."

"Now it's getting more irritating looking at you being this beautiful when this isn't even your real wedding yet." Jongdae sighs, "I'll go outside. Stay here until you're all set to walk down the aisle."

Baekhyun still has the same small smile on his face while he stares at the floor. When he heard the door closing and Jongdae completely left, his eyes travel back to his reflection on the mirror. 

Knowing the truth about Jennie didn't make him feel any better. It just made everything even more unbearable for him. He just insulted an innocent person, someone who did nothing but help them and had only genuine intentions. Fortunately, she's professional enough to push through into organizing the wedding. But they tried their hardest not to cross paths anymore. Chanyeol was obviously bewildered, but he surprisingly didn't force them to talk and just assisted Jennie himself.

When he came back after his recovery, the Chairman also officially talked to the board about the partnership with Flair, and like any other businessmen blinded by Chanyeol's reputation, they agreed. The partnership is the talk of the industry since then, aside from the wedding of course.

And the week that passed was probably one of the hardest, if every week still isn't. Baekhyun was stuck in the house, in his room, with no one to talk to. He didn't see Chanyeol that much, since the latter has been avoiding him again. He didn't want to bother Jongdae, nor Sehun, for they were busy with their own jobs. And the accident wasn't enough reason for his family to talk to him again like before.

Terrible. So that's how it felt when you feel like the world has already turned its back from you. He may have recovered physically, but everything in him is continuously killed. And he wished he can do something about it, and not just cry silently in the middle of the night.

Maybe if he died, they would care.

He realized that whether he pushes through, or runs away, no difference is made. He already lost something that he couldn't take back.

"Wrong time?"

He flinches on the edge of the bed when someone from the door spoke. He realizes his eyes are a bit moist so he blinks rapidly and flashes a big smile. The Chairman does the same and sits beside him on the bed.

He purses his lips while staring at his smiling son for a while. Baekhyun thought he would find this uneasy but he surprisingly doesn't. They both appreciate the brief silence.

"Wow." his father lets out a deep sigh, "You...really remind me of my younger self." he laughs and partly shakes his head when he sees the resemblance everyone does, "Although you're much more...ethereal."

Baekhyun smiles.

"Thank you..."

"Almost everyone is already outside. All is set, son." he nods, "But before you go out there and marry the love of your life, I just want to have a quick word."

His smile fades a little, not really expecting it from the Chairman himself. He sees Baekhyun's expression and chuckles lightly.

"As your father."

Baekhyun remains silent, but he nods to let him speak and he listens. He sets them all aside; the grudge, the revenge, all the things that led him here, he forgets them this time. He lets himself to simply be the son of the man in front of him.

The Chairman becomes slightly conscious because of his attentiveness, but he continues.

"I'm sorry..." he starts off.

Baekhyun looks at him, slowly blinking.

"I feel like when we met again, I already gave you such a big responsibility. I feel like I became your boss, more than a father. And I actually wish we had more time to replace all the years we've lost. In a way that's not related to the business, formality, or the pressure you have to handle." he gulps, "But I hope you understand...I wasn't used to it. I didn't know how being a father works, because I didn't get to experience it with you when you were lost. I felt like I was doing the right thing, giving you all the material things you need and an empire to run. But now, I realize that this isn't how it works. I should've let you know me first, and let me know you. I should've spent time and effort to make up with all the love and years you lost from me." he pauses, "And I'm sorry."

He bites his lip while looking at the Chairman who's looking outside. He tries to swallow the lump forming in his throat, but his eyes are getting warmer. So he only smiles again.

"And I know it sounds really selfish but I just want to have you for myself for a while. But I realized it's too late. You're not getting any younger. You're in love and you want to spend your life with someone who feels the same about you, and who am I to take it away from you?" the Chairman gulps, "You are incredibly...lucky, Baekhyun. Most parents will refuse to accept it, but I'm not such a parent. I will never hinder you from anything, much more from the love you deserve to have."

Baekhyun stares at him and he sees the way his father's eyes glisten.

"You can love Chanyeol freely." a small smile lingers on his lips, "And I wish I had a love like yours..."

The pause after that is a lot longer. Baekhyun processes the words he just said while he waits for more.

"You're about to face a responsibility, bigger than anything you currently have. You're about to start a family. Your own. If anything doesn't feel right, I hope you find me first to talk about it. I hope I can still be a father to you, even when it's about the smallest things." he grasps Baekhyun's hand on his lap as he smiles warmly, "But most of all, fight for it. If it goes wrong, don't give up without fighting. Do something some people didn't have the courage to do..."

Baekhyun quickly wipes the tear that falls from his eye. The Chairman grips his hand firmly.

"I'm just always here for you, Baekhyun-ah. If everyone left, I'll stay with you. I'll side with you always."

He nods while biting his lip before hugging the man beside him. The Chairman stiffens with his sudden action but hugs him back tightly after a while. Baekhyun's heart is stabbed a million times in his chest. He wipes the tears from the corner of his eyes that seem to be continuous again.

Why is life being so unfair to him?

"Thank you...Appa..." he mumbles against the Chairman's shoulder. He remains silent after hearing Baekhyun, but his embrace is still firm. When he pulls away, he's blinking rapidly.

"It's time." he fixes his shirt as he smiles at Baekhyun when they hear the bells and orchestra outside, "Let's go?"

Baekhyun sniffs before nodding, "Yeah, I-I'll follow."

The Chairman taps his back one more time before leaving the room.

Baekhyun fixes himself and tries to keep his composure. This isn't the right time to break down. With one last look at the overviewing window of his room, he steps outside and puts his most convincing smile.

His little entourage is already preparing on the corner of the lighthouse. He meets two retrievers on his way, one of them carries the rings. It looks up to Baekhyun and he had to pet it to ease the fast thumping in his chest. The sunset sky is majestically beautiful, and the ocean breeze and mountains surrounding the place put the photos he saw before into shame. From where he stands, he can see the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meeting, and it's really breathtaking. The place is closed from tourist visit due to the wedding, and he doesn't even want to imagine how much Chanyeol paid to do that.

This, indeed, could've been his perfect wedding.

Baekhyun stops spacing out when he hears the familiar voice drawing closer to him. Jennie looks beautiful in her white maxi dress. She's assisting the children and the dog owners to their respective places and it took her a while to notice that Baekhyun is there. When she does, she only walks towards him with a professional expression on her face.

"Ready, Baekhyun?" she asks and Baekhyun nods, "I'll signal you from the side once it's your turn to walk. Keep a meter between you and the ring bearer on the aisle."

He only agrees and Jennie doesn't say anything more. When he noticed that she doesn't have that much to do left, he takes a deep breath.

"Jennie..."

The woman looks at him blankly, as if she doesn't know why he's suddenly talking to him. Baekhyun blinks before continuing.

"I'm really sorry...about everything." Jennie's face relaxes as soon as she hears this, "I've said a lot of mean things and insult. You were right. I was naïve. You didn't deserve any of that. I regret everything and I'm truly sorry."

She remains staring at him, still a bit taken aback but remains composed.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me that fast. But I don't want to keep you burdened about this as well. It's all my fault for assuming." Baekhyun looks at the grass then back to her, "I'm really grateful for your effort. For all of this. Thank you."

Jennie purses her lips before nodding. A small smile curves on her lips.

"I've forgiven you, Baekhyun. It's all fine. I can't blame you if you had that kind of judgement because we didn't really know each other before all of this. And yes, Chanyeol and I are really close. But that's it. He's like my brother." she pauses, "What hurt me the most was not mainly about me. It's for him."

Baekhyun looks at her, and her gaze is like how it was when they first met.

"I just didn't think you'll even think of him like that. You've been his life, since God knows when. I've seen it. It has always been about you for him." Jennie smiles timidly, "Don't ever doubt Chanyeol again, Baek. He's hopelessly in love with you. And no one will ever try changing that anymore. Especially me."

Baekhyun falls silent because of this. His tongue is tied and before he knows it, Jennie's gently pulling him by the arm.

"Don't worry about it now, Baekhyun. This is your day." she says while pressing something in her ear. Baekhyun sees the entourage lined up outside a white cloth that covers the people inside. The sun is setting and the music becomes gentle as Jennie puts him behind the line with a smile, "Now."

Baekhyun exhales deeply, trying to fix the small beautiful pieces of baby's breath around his head. His throat suddenly feels dry and the entourage begins walking past the cloth and flowers. Soon enough, it'll only be him left outside.

His fingers feel cold. He exhales through his mouth every now and then to ease the rummaging thing in his chest, but it doesn't seem to work. Not when he can still see the silhouette of the people through the thin cloth.

Jennie smiles at him from the side.

"Go on..."

Baekhyun gulps before nodding. This is it. Another phase that will bring him even deeper into his misery.

His eyes are on his feet stepping on the grass when the cloth was pushed to the sides to let him walk. He knows all eyes are on him but he can't look at them yet. His steps are slow, almost going along the mellow harmony of the orchestra. When he manages to gather the courage to flash a small smile, he finally looks at the crowd around, standing and taking pictures of him as if he's the center of world.

He sees Jongdae, his father, some of the executives in the company, Minseok, and many other guests he can barely remember. He flashes the same smile at them, even when it doesn't reach his eyes. He just wants to express gratitude because they made it all the way here to be with him.

Baekhyun tightens the grip around his small bouquet of white peonies. He passed the middle of the aisle before he gets the courage to meet Chanyeol's eyes. He's standing still beside the altar, watching him with his hands in his pockets. He's not smiling or anything, but his eyes never faltered from looking at Baekhyun like some kind of ownership.

His hair is neatly pushed back while his linen shirt is opened at the first few buttons. The sleeves are rolled to his elbows, revealing the tattoos on his arm. But it doesn't make him look out of place from the setting around. Just right and equally breathtaking as well.

For a moment he thought he saw Chanyeol sighing through his mouth when he stared too long, but he already looked away when he reached the end of the aisle to even confirm what it was for. He sweetly smiles at the foreign kid who's waiting at the side to get his bouquet. And then once again he looks at the Chairman, his father, from the crowd who's only smiling at him. He smiles back.

When he faces Chanyeol, it's becoming clearer to him; he's marrying him. He's marrying the love of his life. Not for the reason that he wanted, but still, he's here.

Something in him still screams happiness, and there's no use denying it.

The music eventually faded and the people sat down when they both stood beside each other. The officiator and the both of them are the only people standing. The man smiles at the both of them before clearing his throat.

"Welcome everybody. We are thrilled that so many of you could make it here today." the foreign officiator nods at the crowd before facing them again, "In this beautiful part of New Zealand, we witness the official union of these two people after six years of being together."

Baekhyun gulps. Even the smallest lies make his gut clench. He's spacing out all throughout the time the Symposium was being read. Random thoughts enter his mind to distract him from the nervousness he feels. Chanyeol tilts his head to look at him every now and then but he doesn't notice it either.

"Chanyeol and Baekhyun," he slightly flinches when called, "Please face each other and take each other's hands so that you may see the gift that they are to you."

Chanyeol takes his hand even before he completely faces him. He takes the other while Baekhyun watches his face. Baekhyun ignores his erratic heartbeat and keeps listening. Chanyeol's hands feel so warm against his cold ones.

"These are the hands of your best friend, strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other." the man says beside them, "And lastly, these are the hands that even years from now will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just one touch."

Baekhyun unconsciously nods, drowned by the depth of Chanyeol's eyes directed at him. He tries to make it easier for him by imagining that this is the Chanyeol from ten years ago. His Chanyeol. But it only made it worse because his heart twists simply by the thought.

The prayers went on, and the grip on his hands become firmer. He doesn't look at Chanyeol anymore. He only looks at his chin, his shoulders, or anywhere but his eyes directed to him. Before he knows it, the words he rehearsed for so long had already scrambled in his head.

"Baekhyun, you may now say your vows."

He wanted it to be short and precise. He's been thinking about his vows for more than a week, specifically how to make it sound so neutral yet still convincing. The vows he came up were not from his heart.

But being in this exact same spot while looking at Chanyeol has all his rehearsed words thrown into the bin and it took him a while before he could even speak.

"I..." he gulps before trying to smile, "More than this moment, or any other special ones. It all goes down to the first time for me. The feeling hit me the moment we first talked. It was so...immediate, yet unrushed—far deeper and inexplicably beyond any calculation of time and place."

Chanyeol doesn't remove his eyes on him, and he can't comprehend the words escaping his lips. He doesn't know where they come from either.

"You don't describe a feeling like that. You also can't replicate it or force it. You just let it flow in and around you. You go where it takes you." he unconsciously grips his hands tighter, "These vows are more of privileges than promises; I get to laugh and cry with you, I get to run or walk with you. I get to share everything with you―well _not_ _literally _everything, of course, but still..."

Some guests laughed when he stuttered. He almost ignored this but a smile curves on Chanyeol's lips, flashing his dimple he didn't see for so long. Baekhyun's heart feels like melting like his whole being. It's also this time when he noticed that the taller's eyes are slightly glistening when it crinkled with the smile. The lump in Baekhyun's throat becomes harder to fight and he can barely hear his own words anymore.

"Chanyeol-ah...I just..." his voice almost breaks but he managed to keep it still, "I love you. You know me better than anyone else in this world...my flaws, and every unpleasing thing about me, and somehow still you manage to love me. Y-You are my best friend and one true love. You are my Chanyeol. I'm still pinching myself. Up until today, a part of me still cannot believe that I'm the one who gets to marry you."

Chanyeol bites his lip and looks at their hands instead. When he looks back to his face, his eyes are glistening even more.

"So thank you, for everything, and for choosing me. I vow to choose you always even if I'm given a thousand choices." Baekhyun gulps while smiling, "And even...if I-I'm there or not, I will always, always love you."

It was for his Chanyeol. The kid he met so many years ago. The man he loved and devoted his youth with. And whether he is the one in front of Baekhyun right now, there are no other words to sum up how he feels for Chanyeol than this vow.

This may not be as real as he wants it to be, but Baekhyun managed to say the exact words he wanted. And that made him feel like floating in joy.

"Chanyeol?" the officiator smiles at Chanyeol while pushing the mic closer.

He gulps before staring at Baekhyun.

"Baekhyun-ah," he starts off and his voice is enough to make him lose his strength. He hates it. He hates how smitten he is, "You've...always been everything to me, my once-in-a-lifetime. And you've always asked me before about what could happen to us after ten years; and it is just how I want it to be, with you."

He doesn't know if he's just imagining things but everything seems to be more hushed this time. Even the seas were silent. Baekhyun wonders if the two oceans had stopped clashing against each other to hear what Chanyeol has to say.

"We fell together. We fell slowly and we fell hard. It was overwhelming, but in a heartbeat, you showed me in everything that you did and everything you still do, there was no question," he sighs, "I want you to be there, to be mine, forever."

Baekhyun feels something warm streaming down his cheek and Chanyeol grips his hand tighter when he sees he's crying.

"You allow me to be exactly who I am meant to be without hesitation and have never asked me to change. There are times when you're hurt." Chanyeol gulps between these words, "And it doubles the pain in me. You have helped me be more grounded and find calmness in myself. I know that it is not only my job to love you, but to also make sure that you feel unconditionally accepted as the person you are. And now, I will always work toward doing that."

Baekhyun hears someone from the crowd sniffing, and it somehow made him smile. He wants to let out a sob, but he's so afraid he'll interrupt Chanyeol's words. He wants to hear it as it is, without any distractions.

"I promise to hold your heart tenderly and protect it fiercely. I promise not only to listen, but to hear you. I promise to cherish, value and protect the families that we have, the family that we are becoming and the family that we have yet to build." Chanyeol lightly laughs when more tears pooled his eyes, "Most importantly, I promise to replace all the lonely sunsets with this moment and so many happier ones to come. I'll be yours and yours only."

Baekhyun holds his hand firmer while he cries. Chanyeol smiles because of this, lifting his hand to his face to wipe his cheek with his thumb.

"Don't cry again..." he says in a whisper that only Baekhyun heard.

Baekhyun is crying because he knew, right at that moment, that it was his Chanyeol speaking. His lanky teenage boyfriend that gave him the boyish smiles and tickling kisses whenever he was down. He's here again. It's only his Chanyeol that could say those words.

Why? Why is he doing this to him? Now that he's beginning to accept he's long gone?

The officiator nods at the both of them when Baekhyun calms down. He looks at the side of the altar where the entourage sits.

"Wedding rings are a symbol of commitment and love. The rings are circular, like this love, with no beginning and no end." he smiles at the young dog owner at the side, "Ring Bearer, you may bring us the rings, thank you."

Baekhyun smiles when the guests cooed at the dog walking towards them with the basket of rings between its mouth. It places the basket on the officiator's hands before walking back to the side.

"Chanyeol, you go first." he says, "Repeat after my words..."

He hands him the ring before Chanyeol lifts his hand, their eyes meet again.

_"My heart is in this ring."_

"My heart is in this ring." he barely blinks as he stares right into Baekhyun's eyes while repeating the words of the officiator, "I promise to be your faithful husband."

_"To love you through the best and the worst..._"

"To love you through the best and the worst..." he slightly lifts Baekhyun's ring finger higher, "Through the difficult and the easy... I promise you my unconditional love...and I give you my unwavering trust."

The officiator nods at him and he slides ring through his finger, slowly while he hears his heartbeat against his ear.

_"When you look at this ring..."_

"When you look at this ring..." his eyes move up from Baekhyun's finger, then back into his eyes while the man says the last phrase that made his heart jump. "Remember that I love you always."

Baekhyun's eyes lingered on him before proceeding to his turn. He repeats the same words, with eyes and words only focused on Chanyeol. Not long after and they're both wearing identical rings, and it has become even more official to him.

"Love, it is. The power that binds these two people, the main drive for this union. Everyone, today is all about love. It has been my honor to officiate your ceremony this afternoon. And now I get to say something you've been looking forward to hearing for a long time." the officiator smiles, "By the power vested in me by the State of North Island, I now pronounce you married."

He looks at Chanyeol only to see him staring already.

"You may kiss your husband."

The crowd coos in anticipation, urging them to face each other and do it. Baekhyun nervously chuckles at them before facing Chanyeol again. He feels his blood crawling up to his face when his hand cups his cheek while the other is on the small of his back, pulling him closer. He managed to look at his eyes before he feels Chanyeol's lips crashing against his own, making the cheers around them even louder.

The kiss is long and warm and after a while, the cheers are accompanied by petals raining over them. When they pull away, Chanyeol's nose is still against his and his gaze drowned Baekhyun once again, making his knees weak and more. He's the first one to face the crowd and smile at them while Baekhyun remains unresponsive beside him, failing to even get his shit together.

Baekhyun forces a smile at anyone who greets him, his eyes falling on his groom beside him who's smiling brightly at everyone. He looks so happy and something in Baekhyun's chest began rousing even when it shouldn't.

What is Chanyeol doing?

Acting like he loves him just the same and all that. Giving him hope then leaving him hanging right then. Why? What is that for?

"Beautiful vows, I must say."

Baekhyun looks at his friend who's already prepared to speak about his reviews about the happenings in his life.

"Thanks." Baekhyun answers without looking at him. He doesn't have time to deal with Jongdae's inquisitive look right now, he has to deal with a lot of people.

"It sounded real."

"Yeah? Well I said it out of spur of the moment."

"Not you, idiot. I've seen yours coming. You've always been head over heels that you'll come up with real vows in a pretend wedding." Baekhyun glares at him when he didn't even bother keeping his voice down, "I didn't expect the bastard's vows. It sounded too much for an acting. Best actor is officially him, not you."

Baekhyun narrows his eyes as they both got their champagne glasses, "Jongdae..."

"And yeah, it looked so real, and magical and all." his friend nonchalantly shrugs, "But I must remind you―"

"That it's not." Baekhyun raises a brow, "I know. I know it, Dae."

"Good." Jongdae nods once, "Remember, words can be fabricated. Reflect on his actions and whatever the hell he just made you go through."

Baekhyun stays mum and Jongdae looks at him, actually guilty by his sudden silence from his words.

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol pops up behind them between the silence, "can you come with me for a while?"

He nods exhaustedly while glancing at his friend, "Sure."

Chanyeol doesn't hold his hand or anything. He's walking behind him and he just had to remember every shit Jongdae had to say. Moments of magic are gone too soon, aren't they?

He sees a bunch of men and women drinking and having fun. Now that he realizes it, he suddenly feels nervous and uneasy for some reason.

"Guys," in a snap, Chanyeol's arm is back around his waist. Baekhyun feels conscious since Chanyeol began fluently speaking in English, "this is Baekhyun."

"Finally!"

"Ah look at him."

"These are my friends from college." Chanyeol mumbles against his hair, "They want to meet you."

"Hello..." Baekhyun greets timidly. They're smiling at him, and some of the women are casually kissing him on the cheek. He never knew any of Chanyeol's friends from college aside from Jennie. He didn't have any idea that they were this many as well.

"We've been wanting to meet you since college but you're too far." a tanned man smiles at him.

Baekhyun smiles back and talks to them. They're all very nice and genuinely curious about him. After a while, he's already comfortable with their company, while Chanyeol only checks on them every now and then, getting nonstop teasing from them for being so 'territorial'.

"Will you be adopting?" Hyoyeon asks, sounding so excited. "I hope it's a girl though...that'll be so sweet!"

Baekhyun laughs awkwardly. Chanyeol smiles but remains silent beside him.

"Uh...not yet, maybe."

"Why should they adopt? They could do artificial insemination instead so we can have little Chanyeol and little Baekhyun running around." Wendy says. They all nod, following it by a bunch of suggestions right after about where and how they should do it. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are the only ones silent among them.

"But honestly, it's the thing now." Jongin nods encouragingly at them, "If you guys want to do it then just tell me. My sister knows a highly recommended service that does insemination."

Baekhyun doesn't even know how his smile looks like now that they're expectantly looking at them.

"Maybe next year." Chanyeol answers for him, "Right now, we're still very busy with work."

Baekhyun doesn't say anything more after that. He only answers questions every now and then while Chanyeol looks at him once in a while.

"Baek!" Jongdae comes running towards them, "Chairman Byun is looking for you."

Chanyeol looks at him, he faces them with a polite smile.

"Excuse me." he says before following Jongdae. The Chairman is waiting on the other side of the party, where he talks to the executives and other big guests of the wedding.

His smile is very business-like even when he's tapping Baekhyun's back closer to them. "Ah, of course you know my son. The groom. The other one I mean." he chuckles and Baekhyun bows to them. He knows some of them because of the board meetings and the others are familiar, probably from the news and conferences he went before.

"Good choice, Baekhyun-ah." an old businessman says to him, "The head of Flair is really a good choice. This partnership will land so many opportunities for such strong businesses in the industry."

"Your son really knows who to get, doesn't he?" another one says that made Baekhyun look at him. The man didn't seem to notice what he just said. And Baekhyun must be deadly tired now but it somehow annoyed the shit out of him.

"We met really young, Sir." Baekhyun points out with a sarcastic smile on his face, "I didn't think of any business I'll be getting when I loved him."

"Still," the man grins, "you know what he's getting." he says, emphasizing 'he's' that made Baekhyun even more furious.

"I don't think my son needs that, really." his father says before he can even answer, "He'll get any man he wants while he still runs the biggest company in the country anyway. Do you think he'll bother?"

The man fell silent when the Alpha speaks. He may have realized that jokes about the son of the man in front of him aren't accepted.

"Ah, Soohyung...you're still going on with your unnecessary comments every time, aren't you?"

Someone speaks behind them and Baekhyun knew who it is even before he sees him. But the men around him looks in awe, and like him, not expecting his presence at all.

"Sorry for arriving so late." the man is wearing the same sly smile as his gaze falls on Baekhyun, "But congratulations, Baekhyun-ah."

Chanyeol is now behind him, looking more serious than he already was a while ago.

"Sorry for interrupting." he says, glancing at his uncle in front of him. "Allow me to introduce a relative of mine, Sir." he politely nods at the Chairman and Baekhyun doesn't fail to notice the smile on his uncle's face when he did that, "This is my Uncle, Park Daejung. He's the former Chairman of Flair."

By the way they look at him, they obviously knew him already. The only one that fell surprisingly silent is the Chairman, whose face is unreadable as he looks at the hand reaching out in front of him.

"Byun Yeongseo..." Chanyeol's uncle speaks with so much amusement, "Heard so many good things about you, Sir."

Baekhyun watches his father being unresponsive. Chanyeol's brows slightly crease as well, bewildered by the sudden silence of the Chairman.

"Excuse me."

Baekhyun opens his mouth when his father suddenly walks away from them. The hand was left hanging in the air before Park Daejung puts it back into his pocket.

"That was weird..." he says, yet he doesn't really look surprised at all. If anything, he looks satisfied, "doesn't he like meeting new people, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun gulps before shaking his head, "No...sorry, he must be just tired." he looks at the way his father has gone to, "Maybe next time."

Chanyeol's uncle purses his lips, nodding while looking at the same way he's staring at.

"Next time then." he shrugs.

Baekhyun actually didn't see him for the rest of the night.

x

It was indeed hard to leave such a beautiful place but before Baekhyun knows it, he's back home and back to work. Most people were curious about his quick vacation because they thought they'll still go for a honeymoon, but neither Baekhyun nor Chanyeol has time for that. In the end, they just convinced the Chairman and anyone else that they're planning to do it some other time, when they're not so busy.

Honestly, do they need it? They don't.

Sooner or later, it won't matter.

Baekhyun walks to his office on a Monday morning and sees Sehun talking to someone not far from it. He stops on his tracks and looks at him. Sehun's brows are creased while he speaks, his face is crumpled into a small frown. The dark circles under his eyes didn't go unnoticed to Baekhyun. It's been a while since they last talked. Sehun didn't go to his wedding nor spoke to him properly since the board meeting.

Something suddenly doesn't make sense to Baekhyun.

"Hey..."

Sehun looks at him when the person he was talking to just left and Baekhyun is now standing in front of him with a smile on his face. But Sehun doesn't smile back. He only stares with his hands in his pocket.

"Hey."

"How are you?" Baekhyun asks, trying to initiate a nice conversation. "I was hoping to see you at New Zealand." he gulps when Sehun's eyes bore coldly at him, "I...I was a bit sad you couldn't make it."

He doesn't know what runs in Sehun's mind, or what's happening to him. He doesn't look fine to him. And something about his gaze makes him a bit afraid to talk further.

"Yeah, heard it was dope." Sehun only nods once, "Congrats."

Baekhyun tries to smile to lighten it up but something still feels different.

"Sehun, is everything fine?" he asks that made the taller stare directly at him, "I mean...are you okay? You don't look well..."

Sehun doesn't answer immediately. He doesn't look surprised by the question, yet his chest subtly heaves underneath his suit.

"Of course."

Baekhyun nods but he isn't anywhere near convinced.

"Do you need help? In anything, I mean..." he blinks when Sehun stares at him still, "Is your mother okay?"

"I just said I'm fine, Baekhyun."

"But I ju―"

"Quit it."

Baekhyun parts his lips in awe when he wasn't able to continue. Sehun clenches his jaw as he snaps.

They were surrounded by silence, but Sehun smiles right after. It didn't make Baekhyun feel better. If anything, it only made it worse with how forced and sinister it looks with the way his teeth obviously grit in it.

"Don't worry about me, Baek." he says with his smile before looking behind Baekhyun with the same gaze, "We're good."

Baekhyun remains looking at him, speechless with the sudden change of tone.

"Mr. Byun?"

He flinches and turns around to face an employee who points at the hall nearby where Chanyeol is in his suit, walking towards him. Baekhyun opens his mouth but wasn't able to say anything because everything's happening too fast.

Chanyeol looks at him, brows slightly creased because of the look on his face. Baekhyun turns again to face Sehun but he's not there anymore. He looks around but he was too fast to even be caught by Baekhyun's eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Baekhyun absentmindedly looks at Chanyeol, who's now standing beside him with his hand on the back of his waist. He looks around but Sehun really left already. Chanyeol remains watching him warily.

"N-Nothing..." he says before gulping, "Why are you here?"

Chanyeol is still holding him while walking towards the hall back to his office. He tries to dismiss the attention from the people around but he can't do it as effortlessly as Chanyeol.

"We have a board meeting today." Chanyeol answers and he responds with a nod. He knows he's still exempted from it.

"Is Appa..."

He pauses when he realizes what he just said. Chanyeol looks at him, so he avoids his gaze as he blinks rapidly.

"I m-mean...the Chairman coming?"

Chanyeol's gaze lingers on his face before shaking his head.

"I don't think he is." he says sternly, "I heard he sent a representative."

Baekhyun nods again.

"What are you doing today?"

He looks up to him because of the sudden question. He looks around before answering.

"Uh...work I need to catch up with. Proposals and contracts I need to check. They've been in a pile now...I want to finish them."

Chanyeol nods. He's not even sure why he's asking, or why he suddenly cares.

"Don't head out for lunch. I'll send you one later."

He looks at him, almost like making sure he heard it from him. Chanyeol is looking around but he's pretty sure he's the one who said that.

Nonetheless, Baekhyun nods his head. "Okay..."

Some of the board members started going in the hall near them.

"I need to go."

Baekhyun is about to say goodbye but he feels a peck on his temple, and Chanyeol is already walking away wordlessly while he remains stupidly standing there.

A manager walks past him with a taunting smile on her face and Baekhyun had to straighten his suit and clear his throat as if he didn't just make a complete fool out of himself.

Not...quite sure how he'll be able to finish all of this on his own.

"These are all mine?" Baekhyun's eyes are slightly widened, "Are you...sure?"

"Uhm, I think Mr. Park doesn't know what you like, so he sent everything Sir." the secretary smiles sheepishly at him. She looks bewildered by it too and along with Baekhyun, she looks at the table filled with food.

Baekhyun gulps, "Alright. I'll just take this...and this then. You can take the rest and share it with others outside."

"Oh...thank you Sir."

They were disturbed by a knock right then and the employee closed to the door opens it. Another direct secretary of the Chairman comes in, slightly heaving.

"Sorry to disturb your lunch Sir but the Chairman asks if you can come over to his house now?"

Baekhyun raises his brows with the sudden invitation. He looks at his lunch on the table then back to her whose face is unreadable.

"Now?" he repeats in which she urgently nods, "What is it for?"

"He d-didn't really say Sir. But h-he's really impatient." Baekhyun stands up when her voice breaks, "He w-was yelling at me...Sir."

"I'll talk to him." he says as he walks towards her, "Sorry. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

He taps her back before going out with them. He sees the phone on her table. What he doesn't understand is the urgency of his father. And why didn't he just call him directly? What was all the fuss for?

"Appa?" he calls when he placed the phone on his ear, "Hello?"

The line is already dead even before he got there. Baekhyun gets even more bewildered. He doesn't have the slightest idea about what's possibly going on with the Chairman.

He barely finished his lunch because he wanted to go the Chairman's house as soon as he can. He's been there before but not for too long since it was only when they first met. Baekhyun is driven by the company driver instead of using his own car. When he gets there, a few maids are outside the house.

"He wouldn't come out of his room Sir." one maid says when he asked about him. Baekhyun worriedly looks inside.

Now that he thinks about it, it's been a while since he talked to him. The Chairman left his wedding party earlier and he just heard that he flew back to Korea the following morning. He didn't hear about him coming to the office either.

His heart unknowingly thumps harder against his chest. So many things are not making sense and it's scaring him.

_What if the Chairman knows? _He doesn't even want to think of it. Not now. Not when he's starting to see him differently, please.

"Appa..." he says against the door. He doesn't even know if he's heard inside, "It's me, Baekhyun."

He thought he was completely unheard when he didn't get any response for a while. As he opens his mouth again, he hears a gentle thud inside.

"Appa?"

It was silent again, then he hears his voice.

"Baekhyun-ah..." it was low and gentle, completely opposed to what the employee described a while ago.

"I'll go inside..." he says and doesn't get any response from that. He slowly twists the knob and figures it isn't locked. When he gets inside, the room is a chaos.

He froze on his spot, looking around the disorganized room. The sheets of the bed are almost on the floor and there are bottles of liquor on the bed and floor. The drawers are all pulled out from where they should be, including the bunch of files and photo albums scattered on the floor.

The Chairman is sitting on the floor beside his bed, head dangling in front. His shirt and pajamas haven't been changed for a while. Baekhyun breathes heavily as he steps towards him.

"Appa..." he sits right in front of him, holding onto his arm. "What happened? What's wrong?"

The Chairman lifts his gaze up and Baekhyun sees his bloodshot eyes stained with tears. His knees wobbled. He never imagined he'll ever see the Alpha being like this. He has always been tough, intimidating and composed. Now he looks like a sheep in its weakest state. He grips his son's hand tighter.

"What is it?"

"I'm s-sorry..." the Chairman cries, shaking his head frantically. "I'm sorry...I-I swear...I swear I didn't mean it."

Baekhyun's heart almost skips a beat.

"What?" he breathes, "Didn't mean what?"

"I'm sorry..." the Chairman doesn't say anything but the same words.

A thought enters his mind. Maybe...maybe this is about it. Maybe this is the truth he's been looking for.

"Appa..." he holds his face and looks at him with assurance, "You can tell me, alright? You can tell me anything."

His father cries even harder. He slowly shakes his head.

"I can't..."

Baekhyun creases his brows. He won't be able to understand anything by this. He has to try harder.

"Appa...please. Tell me what's bothering you."

The Chairman only continues to sob heavily. Baekhyun waits for him patiently, no matter how hungry he is for the truth.

"I t-thought I can finally forget and leave everything behind..." he says between his breath, "A-And this happens...I thought I escaped..."

Baekhyun watches him while he holds his hand. His heart won't slow down.

"I-I swear...I loved her, Baek." he sobs, "Maybe not the way she wanted...but I did. I l-loved her, still..." his face is now wet with tears, "I let it h-happen to her...I traded the t-truth...I traded you for something so stupid..."

Baekhyun blinks, "A-Appa..."

"I-I didn't do anything...I didn't fight for her justice even when I know too well...even if I fucking witnessed it." he bites his lip so hard to suppress more sobs. He weakly shakes his head, "I didn't deserve her...S-She died because of me...I'm so...so f-fucking stupid."

Baekhyun's knees feel so weak that he let himself sit on the floor, holding on to the nearest object when he fell harshly. He looks at them and sees a bunch of photo films and pictures of a woman he has never seen before, but is uncannily familiar to him. He picks one and suddenly feels his eyes getting warmer.

_Hayoon-ah, 1989_

The girl is sticking her tongue out while winking on the camera, but the playful image still brings him pain in his chest. The other pictures had her smile on them, identical to Baekhyun's smile and it isn't a question anymore.

"S-She was my best friend..." the Chairman cries beside him, "how could I..."

Baekhyun still has the photos on his hand when he hears the Chairman's ragged breathing beside him. He lets go of them and rushes back to him, rubbing his nape.

"Inhaler...where's your inhaler?"

His father weakly points the table with the lamp and Baekhyun immediately sees it. He almost ran to it and opens it. The Chairman catches his breath, his eyes are fixed on the floor while inhaling through it. Baekhyun can see how he takes all of this so much. And worse is he still doesn't have any idea why.

And why all of a sudden?

When he was able to catch his breath and calm himself, his eyes are partly closing. It must be from the drowsiness and the alcohol he had. Baekhyun hugs him and lets his head rest on his chest.

"I'm letting...it happen again." he weakly says against Baekhyun's chest, "I should've...I should've known sooner."

Baekhyun can't still figure anything out.

"Did you do it?" he gulps, "D-Did you kill her?"

His father pulls away, eyes widening while he shakes his head.

"No, Baekhyun..." he began crying again as if it's a trigger, "No..."

"Sshh..." Baekhyun embraces him before he goes frantic and lose his breath again. He lets the silence take over to calm him down first before continuing, "Then who did?"

If this is something about his true mother, then he can never let it pass.

"Who killed her Appa?"

He doesn't get any answer. He can only feel him shaking his head against his chest, continuously that it felt like he badly needs to convince him.

The Chairman sits up straight and faces him. He grips Baekhyun's arms firmly as he looks at him with conviction. Baekhyun's eyes are lost and filled with nothing but confusion.

"Baekhyun-ah...I can never kill anyone." he says while shaking his head, "Anyone. Especially your mother."

He prevents another breakdown, grasping tighter onto his son's arms.

"I did nothing...I did nothing because I was blinded by something so wrong..." he lets out a silent sob while shaking his head. He makes sure he looks straight into Baekhyun's eyes.

"Believe me, Baekhyun-ah..."

And Baekhyun does something he was forbidden to. Something he might either regret or should've done sooner.

"I do..." he nods, "I believe you."

_And you still haven't done it, have you? You still didn't tell him about the truth. You still chose to protect someone. Someone who brought you nothing but hell._

_Look at you._

_Still the same pathetic kid everyone was mocking._


	16. 15-Blur

_Chanyeol was staring at him grimly, waiting for him to say something useful. So he tried to think of the proper words he should say._

_Minseok nudged him encouragingly when he stayed silent, "Baekhyun?"_

_He nodded as response._

_"He believed me..." he said, still under Chanyeol's watch, "He...I think he did."_

_Chanyeol sat up from leaning back before placing both his elbows on his table to look at him even closer._

_"Well he should. There's no question about it, looking at you being his carbon copy." he said mockingly that got Baekhyun pursing his lips, "What I want to know is what's going to happen next. Did he actually tell you something useful?"_

_"He just told me to come to his company next week. He didn't tell me anything yet but he was calm all throughout. He was asking me so many things about myself. If he got me investigated or tested...I don't know."_

_"I got it all settled. He won't find anything."_

_They stayed in silence for a while. Minseok was only standing beside him while they both watched Chanyeol running his finger on his lip, looking like he's in deep thought._

_"He will probably introduce you to the company by then and start training you." he raised both his brows, "Just as I imagined it to be. Now we're officially beginning on this."_

_Baekhyun only looked at him._

_"What I want you to do is work your way up as quick as you can. That's it. Just keep impressing him and don't do anything stupid that will make him doubt your ability." Chanyeol said sternly, "A partnership is what we aim for. In that way, I'll be able to have advantages once we're allies. And once you take over, it'll be easier to for us to expose him if he's not holding that much of a power anymore."_

_"What about the case?" Baekhyun immediately butted in that had Chanyeol looking at him, "I can find more when I'm already in his territory. He will trust me since I'm his son."_

_"You will leave it to us." Chanyeol answered, looking straight at him. "Isn't that one of my rules?"_

_Baekhyun badly wanted to speak further but he ended up shutting his mouth. He will not win over this. It's a different scenario now._

_"You will leave the case to us, you do what you need to do and you won't tell a single word about this to anyone." Chanyeol's lips curved, "Easy as pie, right Baekhyun?"_

_Baekhyun flashed a forced smile while nodding._

_"Now we get that partnership for Flair." Chanyeol crossed his arms over his chest._

_"And if it doesn't work on him?" Baekhyun blurted out. Minseok blinked at him when he dared to question Chanyeol again._

_Chanyeol was still smiling but he didn't look amused anymore, "It will."_

_"What if it doesn't?" Baekhyun repeated even though he knew he could provoke him, "Just what if...he won't agree. We don't know how his mind works."_

_The taller didn't answer immediately but he seemed to be really worked up now._

_"Plan B, then." Chanyeol shrugged, almost nonchalantly, "We'll get married according to his terms. You know how business works in this place."_

_By then, Baekhyun regretted he asked. He looked at Chanyeol with disbelief, unconvinced that the person in front of him even thought about doing that._

_Marriage for business? For revenge? For anything but good reason?_

_Chanyeol raised a brow because of his reaction. Baekhyun gulped but a lump started forming in his throat and he only had to look at the floor while keeping his cool._

_"That's our final option. You'll know it when we finally have to use it." he said, looking more stoic right now because of the distaste on Baekhyun's face, "But I assure you we won't. I won't let it happen."_

_All throughout the very brief conversation with Chanyeol, Baekhyun realized how he drastically changed. It was like talking to a completely different person. He was constantly asking himself if finding out that Baekhyun was the son of his parents' murderer made him become like this._

_But Baekhyun immediately got an answer for himself, Chanyeol had started to become a different person right after his parents died. Even when Baekhyun was still holding him, but he was drifting away too slowly and painfully. It started on that yet Baekhyun failed to notice._

_"You got that smile again..." Minseok spoke when they got out of Chanyeol's office and the forced smile was still etched on Baekhyun's face, "You know when you smile like that...I just have this strong urge to hug you until you stop."_

_Baekhyun chuckled, "But of course you can't."_

_"Yeah," Minseok nodded, "I'll probably lose my job."_

_"Because you shouldn't side with me." Baekhyun added but Minseok looked at him before shaking his head._

_"No...not for that reason."_

_Baekhyun dismissed this and continued walking. What Minseok said next made him step slower._

_"It's not yet too late to quit, Baekhyun." the sympathy in his voice made Baekhyun feel even more pathetic, "We're just starting. Not yet...even. You can always turn around and walk away. Trust me...it'll be the best decision you'll make."_

_Baekhyun gulped before turning around to face him._

_"Not yet, Minseok." he smiled and shook his head._

_The assistant sighed, "I knew I still won't convince you but I just had to try." Minseok smiled sadly, "You don't have to torture yourself like this, Baekhyun. Don't wait until you can't take it anymore."_

_He looked at him directly, still strong enough to keep that smile from faltering._

_"You'll know it, don't worry. You'll know when we're there."_

_Minseok looked at him seriously before chuckling._

_"Are you going to smile at me like that? How would I know when you always do it?"_

_Baekhyun lightly laughed before walking away completely._

_You'll know it, Minseok._

No one from the witnesses dare to look directly into Chanyeol's eyes.

They remain seated around the long table, gulping every now and then when Chanyeol arrives in the dining hall. Baekhyun follows behind him together with Minseok and two other men.

The silence is agonizing, and Baekhyun looks at them with so much sympathy. Despite being under Chanyeol's protection, they still look so anxious about their safety. He noticed how a slight noise makes them fidgety. Baekhyun wonders how long their lives have been threatened before this.

"You mentioned before, didn't you? That someone had been consistently checking up on you all those years." Chanyeol asks straight to the point, sounding so authoritative while he puts his hands on the table. "Does anyone of you at least remember how he looks like?"

There are six of them around the table. Two men, a woman and a family with a toddler. Baekhyun looks at the man who looks up from his gaze on the table to Chanyeol, his hands are slightly trembling from his lap.

"A-All we know is he's old, and how he sounds like. We were always forced to not look whenever they barged in our house, S-Sir..."

Chanyeol clenches his jaw, but he tries to keep calm. Baekhyun remains silent behind him, afraid that he'll disturb Chanyeol from whatever he's thinking.

Someone from them sniffs. They look at the woman who's now silently shedding tears on her seat. She blinks and tries to talk between her prevented sobs.

"I-I got a g-glimpse of him t-three years ago...I can't exactly remember...but i-if I see him a-again, I think I'll recognize him..." she closes her eyes tight as her voice breaks even more, "H-He was there...w-when my sister was killed..."

Baekhyun gulps and looks away. He doesn't know if he can endure watching them suffering like this. He doesn't know why they must be reminded about the tragedy they've gone through. But Chanyeol is too eager to know everything, even when it's obviously torturing them mentally and emotionally. Baekhyun hasn't even recovered from witnessing Mr. Kim's death as well.

He was spacing out for a while when Chanyeol tilts his head to his side where he's standing. Baekhyun raises his brows at him, but Chanyeol's eyes are darkening while his lips are pursed. He opens his palm in front of him.

"Give me your phone." Chanyeol speaks, almost coldly.

Baekhyun blinks in confusion but he unlocks his phone anyway and hands it to him. He creases his brows while watching Chanyeol scribbling through it, and when he realizes what it's for, it's too late.

"Is this him?" Chanyeol shows his phone to the woman who's now crying because of the trauma she had to relive, "Look closely if you recognize this man."

Baekhyun's eyes widened when he began showing a zoomed picture of his father from their wedding to the woman. The girl is crying so hard but Chanyeol's gaze is hard, as if he forgot to care at all.

"Chanyeol." Baekhyun stands beside him with his brows crossed but Chanyeol continues to lift the phone in front of her.

"Is this him? Tell me."

"Chanyeol, that's enough!"

His voice raised while he grabs his phone away from Chanyeol's hold. It looks like the man went back to his senses as well when he blinks and looks at the girl who is being hushed by the other witnesses now. His eyes move to Baekhyun then back to the girl who's now unresponsive because of her excessive crying.

Chanyeol is still obviously holding back by the way his hands are clutched into fists. He's hungry for the truth, Baekhyun understands that. But this is not the right way to dig it. He's doing it wrong.

Without a word, he walks away from the dining hall, immediately followed by the security men. Baekhyun and Minseok were left behind, but Minseok followed soon after as well.

When Baekhyun looks back to the witnesses, he sees one of them silently staring at the direction Chanyeol had gone to. His expression is blank but there's something in his eyes Baekhyun cannot exactly point out. When he sees Baekhyun looking, he looks away and swallows.

Baekhyun blinks and bows politely at them, "I'm really sorry for that. Please have some rest."

Some of them nodded and it was his cue to walk out of the safe house as well.

When he got out, Chanyeol's car has already left. He was left with a security man and driver to get him home safely. From the car ride, he's thinking about what happened and what he's ought to do now. He's been thinking about this a lot lately and it's hard to keep it in for a long time.

He has to say it.

When he reached the mansion, he didn't need to ask when he sees the maids looking so traumatized in the hall again. Chanyeol might have thrown something again out of his frustration. Baekhyun offers them a timid smile before going upstairs to Chanyeol's office.

When he stops in front of the door of his office, he had to take a deep breath. He can hear Chanyeol speaking inside so he takes this chance to rehearse his words first. He's fully aware that this might be a wrong timing. But he can't wait. This cannot wait.

He goes inside after a gentle knock that Chanyeol didn't even hear. When he got in, Chanyeol is facing on the side with the phone on his ear. He looks at Baekhyun while his brows are slightly crossed.

"Yeah...yeah, get him if he's good. I need someone who can dig more information, no matter how hidden it is. Get me the best one to do that." he says while his eyes remain on Baekhyun, "I'll call you again later. Thanks."

When he hung up, Baekhyun is still standing stiffly near the door. Chanyeol faces him by turning his swivel chair. His brows shot up because of Baekhyun's silence.

"I-I need to...I mean...can I just suggest..."

Chanyeol's deep stare doesn't even help him while he formulates his words. He had to look at his table instead while trying to speak.

"What?"

"Just..." Baekhyun sighs heavily, "Why don't we rearrange things?"

Like how he expected it, Chanyeol only looks at him in confusion.

"I mean I-I just think that whatever happened recently...to the witnesses, Mr. Kim...or me. They all lead to something. The person we're looking for obviously has eyes and ears on whatever we're planning."

Chanyeol remains silent for a while, but it obviously got him thinking as well.

"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun mumbles while taking a step closer, "Someone is obviously spilling information outside. Instead of trying to force the witnesses into recalling their trauma, why don't you try cleansing your side, including the people working for you?"

Chanyeol looks up at him from his seat when he stands right in front of him. His lips are pursed into a thin line.

"Are you saying someone around me is betraying me?"

Baekhyun gulps, "I don't know...but it's possible. I mean—"

"And who do you think it might be, Baekhyun?"

He blinks rapidly before speaking, "W-Well...why don't you have all of them investigated...You know, M-Minseok..."

Chanyeol sits straight from his seat, his eyes directed at him while his expression is hard.

"Minseok will never betray me."

Baekhyun falls silent. But after a while, he manages to show conviction for his words.

"We're not sure, Chanyeol."

If Minseok was the one sending him the misleading photos and information about Jennie then it's not impossible if he's a traitor. There's no other reason why he would want to ruin their relationship or deal. It makes sense, even if Minseok has an idea about their prior relationship.

It's hard for him to think about Minseok like that, but with all of this happening, he has no one to trust anymore.

Chanyeol stands up, and Baekhyun unconsciously takes a step back. He's once again being towered at.

"It's useless." Chanyeol says with finality, "We all know the person behind all of this."

Baekhyun's chest begins to heave. He looks at Chanyeol before looking back at the floor.

"What if we're wrong?" he asks with so much courage, "What if...all this time, we're wrong, Chanyeol?"

Chanyeol's frowning face relaxes, turning it colder. Baekhyun's knees feel weak because of his stare but he shows no sign of giving up. He stares back at Chanyeol.

He knows the wrath he'll possibly get for saying this. But he has prepared himself for it.

"I d-don't think..." he stutters when Chanyeol walks away from his table without removing his gaze from him, "I don't think he did it."

Chanyeol is closer to him this time, without the table between them. It seems like he stood right in front of Baekhyun to hear his words clearly.

"Again, Baekhyun?"

They've been married for weeks now, and Baekhyun didn't fail to notice Chanyeol changing since then. But now, he also can't help thinking about the first time they met again two years ago. The cold and stone-hearted man is back in front of him.

And Baekhyun cannot believe he's speaking for his father now. For the man he used to despise.

"I don't think my f-father did it."

Chanyeol's jaw hardens just with his words. He puts his hands on his waist underneath his coat.

"He's your father now, huh?" Chanyeol chuckles sarcastically, "Can you hear yourself, Baekhyun?"

"I don't know how you came up with the conclusion that he did..." Baekhyun gulps and makes his words clearer, "But I don't think he's the person we thought he is. He can never murder anyone, Chanyeol. He may be cunning in business, but he assured me he'll never hurt anyone. Much more kill them?"

"And you believe him? That easy?" Chanyeol pants in rage. His eyes are full of hatred despite smiling, "I knew you're incapable for this job. You're turning against me now."

Baekhyun dismissed the hurtful words. He wants to convince him with his point and he's desperate, "I'm not turning against you, Chanyeol! I just want you to give him a chance to pro—"

"He fucking murdered my parents!" Chanyeol's shout boomed within the walls of the room and Baekhyun flinches. His eyes are bloodshot as they pierce through him, "He had so many people killed! He ruined my life and what Baekhyun? You want me to give him a fucking chance?!"

Baekhyun clasps his hands tighter behind him. From the way Chanyeol is tensed, he can tell he's preventing to let out his anger on him or anything around. His knuckles are turning white as he clutches his fists.

He can only hear Chanyeol's ragged breathing. He swallows the lump in his throat before continuing.

"I'm not turning against you, Chanyeol...I didn't tell him anything..." he looks at the floor yet he feels Chanyeol's intense gaze fixed on him, "And I won't. I just want you to hear me and see the different sides as well. Hear his side..."

Chanyeol combs his hair in frustration.

"I can't fucking believe this." he cusses, "After all the lives that were lost in a flick of his fingers, he had you wrapped around his finger this time."

Baekhyun sighs, "Please. Listen to me..."

"I should've ended him that fast as well. I shouldn't have come up with all of this, should I?" he asks through gritted teeth, "Maybe if he got what he did to my parents then you'll know how it feels, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun looks at him, his heart twisting in pain. "Don't say that. Chanyeol, please..."

"I want to be alone." Chanyeol's voice made him shiver. Baekhyun looks at him pleadingly but he's not sparing him a glance anymore, walking back to his table as if nothing happened. "Let's talk some other time."

Baekhyun blinks rapidly before walking out of his office. He walks fast, away from it to his room with such a heavy heart. Even when Minseok called him cheerfully, he didn't have the courage to respond.

x

"Baekhyun-ah..."

The way he's mixing the soup slows down. His shoulders are drooping down weakly. When he looks at the Chairman, it's like looking at his own reflection.

"Is everything fine?"

Baekhyun blinks once before nodding. He wasn't even looking at him when he did. He hears his father's deep breath beside him.

He's not, of course. Everything is getting worse. His father. And Chanyeol doesn't talk to him for the past few days, nor let their paths cross. He was always in his office, or he'll come home late when he's sure no one's waiting for him. The work in the company gets heavier and it overwhelms him. Sehun isn't that functional recently as well and Baekhyun doesn't dare to ask what's bothering him when it's obvious that he's the last person he wants to talk to. He decided to do it all by himself instead of adding more responsibilities to Sehun.

Everyone around him is having dilemmas. But the heaviest burden goes to Baekhyun.

"You're not fine."

"I am." Baekhyun tries to smile, "Just...stop drinking too much when I'm not here. You're not taking care of yourself anymore, and that worries me."

The Chairman is losing a lot of weight. Baekhyun always tells the helpers to make sure he eats but he'll come back just to hear from them that his food is barely touched and he's drinking excessively every night. He can't take care of him all the time when the company needs him as well.

Baekhyun hasn't figured out why he's been acting like this since he got married.

"I'm sorry..." that again. It's always the same words, but what he wants is an explanation. He wants the truth.

"Why won't you tell me what's really bothering you?"

The Chairman blinks before gulping. He leans on his back, avoiding Baekhyun's confused eyes.

"Nothing. Whatever it is, it shouldn't bother you anymore. You already have a lot to think about because of the company."

And everything. _And all of you. _Baekhyun wants to add.

"How will it not bother me when you're acting like this?" the pain in his voice is obvious, "You can tell me anything. Is this about my mother? I want to know..."

The Chairman stares at him, and Baekhyun's heart is twisting in pain. His father looks like he's holding in something so heavy.

"I promise I won't judge you, I'll listen."

They stare at each other for quite a while. He doesn't look down. He's almost there. His father looks so conflicted and he knows how tempted he is to let it out this time. He's clenching his jaw while his eyes glisten.

"One day you'll know it, Baekhyun-ah..." his voice almost breaks, "One day I'll have the courage to tell you. But right now...I just c-can't..."

Baekhyun sighs weakly.

"Then how am I supposed to help you?"

The Chairman smiles at him sadly, "You don't need to..."

"Appa..."

"It hurts me...when I look at you."

Baekhyun is taken aback because of this. Why him?

His father clutches on his blanket, "Everything is repeating itself. It's scary because of how the same it looks. But I'm still holding on to a chance that you're a different case. That what you have is true. I'm enduring it because I can see how much it makes you happy."

Baekhyun's lips parted in awe, "I-I...I d-don't understand..."

He's even more surprise when the Chairman embraces him tight.

"Appa?"

"I love you so much, Baekhyun-ah..." he isn't able to answer, "Promise me you'll make things right if they go wrong. You can help me by that." he's shocked and confused, but he hugs him back and lets them drown into silence.

"Now go, so I can sleep..." the Chairman smiles as he pulls away and quickly lays on his side, his back facing Baekhyun.

Baekhyun has never been this conflicted.

Everything after that has continuously been a blur. He's trying to weigh everyone's actions around him while keeping himself sane at the same time. Chanyeol talks to him but only if it's necessary or if there are people around. Baekhyun doesn't need that. He wants to talk to him properly, without any of his judgements clouding his mind. He's trying so hard so that Chanyeol can see his point.

Is it wrong if he wants to set things right before it's too late? If he had a doubt before, then now he's sure. His father is innocent. And it may sound ridiculous, but he feels it. He knows he's right.

He's not stupid to not see Chanyeol being so worked up over something over the past few weeks. Minseok is barely helping him. Baekhyun heard that Minseok has been ordered to work on the company agendas that are obviously not what Chanyeol has been working on. If Chanyeol finally listened to him about being cautious or he just plainly wants to work on this thing by himself, that he doesn't know.

So when Friday morning came, he's shocked to see Minseok in the mansion together with a bunch of their security men. It will not be so bizarre if not for a fact that he only sees these men whenever something's urgent. They're going in and out of the house and Baekhyun can see some of them armed with guns. Something suddenly doesn't feel right.

"What's happening?" he asks while walking towards Minseok.

"Oh, hi Baek!" Minseok is unusually casual towards him as if he's not holding a dangerous weapon in his hand. "You're...uh, I thought you went to work?"

"Yeah." he answers without looking at him but at the men, "What's going on Minseok?"

"Huh? Well, uh...nothing much." the assistant couldn't even speak convincingly now that he's looking at him seriously, "A-Actually...I don't know that much as well..."

"Where's Chanyeol?"

"Chanyeol? Oh, Chanyeol...I think..."

"I want the other half waiting at the target point area. Update me from there..."

He turns around when he heard the low voice from the distance ordering some of the men. Chanyeol is wearing a black shirt, matching the color of his pants and cap. When their eyes meet, something in his expression changes but it remains uptight and serious.

Baekhyun doesn't expect him to talk to him but when he walks towards where they are, there's a tiny bit of hope that his questions will be answered.

"Minseok, what did I tell you?"

Minseok even look bewildered for a while, but he gasps when he remembers what he should do. He flashes an apologetic smile to Baekhyun before rushing outside. Chanyeol's eyes follow him until he's out of sight before he looks at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun's serious gaze remains on Chanyeol.

"What's going on?"

Chanyeol looks so nonchalant that it irritates him.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it, you should go to the office now."

"Why don't you just tell me what I need to know?" he hisses.

Chanyeol takes a step forward, making him tilt his head up to compete with his gaze.

"There's nothing you need to know Baekhyun." Chanyeol spites, "I'm going."

Baekhyun grits his teeth while watching Chanyeol's broad back walking away. He sighs before deciding to let it go. If it's another one of their ganging up on a poor business rival then he'll let them be. Chanyeol doesn't need to spite on him like an asshole.

When he got in the office, it's the same scenario. People are working on deadlines, proposals and deals and it makes him distressed, realizing that they're all doing that because of him. Because he might not be doing enough for the company.

"Where's Sehun?" he asks after finishing his second meeting of the day. He hasn't seen his acting Vice President since he arrived. He feels so exhausted and it's not even halfway of the day yet.

"Mr. Oh hasn't arrived yet."

Baekhyun looks at each of them, his face slightly crumpled in irritation.

"Did he leave a notice or any reason?"

"No, Sir..."

This is getting out of hand. Baekhyun isn't going to compromise all the time. If Sehun has an emergency to attend to, then at least have some initiative to let him know.

"Can you tell him immediately once he arrives that I want to talk to him?" he asks but right then, his phone rings with a call from Sehun himself. "Nevermind. I'll talk to him now." he excuses himself and turns away.

"Sehun." he calls sternly, preparing himself to scold him. "Where are you again? I've bee—"

"Mr. Byun?" he stops when he hears a faint voice from the other line. It sounds so weak that he barely hears it, "Is this...i-is this your number?"

It's been too long but he recognizes the voice.

"W-Who's this?" he stutters, partly because he isn't sure if it's her or why she's suddenly calling.

"Sehun...S-Sehun's mother..." she answers between heavy breaths. Baekhyun is suddenly alarmed.

"Are you okay?" he asks even though he can hear her struggle, "Are you hurt?"

"C-Can you come here..." her breathing becomes more difficult and Baekhyun finds himself rushing towards the exit of the building, "B-Baekhyun-ah...please come..."

"I'm on my way." Baekhyun heaves while getting into his car, "S-Stay still, okay? Don't move too much..."

He doesn't hear anything after that. He tries to talk to her throughout the ride, hoping for a response that she can still give. She eventually becomes unresponsive and Baekhyun steps on the pedal even harder. He calls the emergency ambulance to get help. He drives faster, his heart beating uncontrollably as soon as he got inside the small secluded subdivision of Sehun's house.

Baekhyun tries to open the house but it's locked. He cusses multiple times, thinking of possible ways to open it. If it's only Sehun's mother who's inside, then he doesn't have any choice at all. In the end, he does it. He crashes the window glass with a large rock to let his hand unlock the door from the inside.

When he gets inside the small bedroom he went in before, he sees Sehun's mother helplessly laying down on the floor. She looks so pale that got Baekhyun frozen on his place. He snaps out of his thoughts when he hears a faint groan of pain from her, and he sees her clutching onto her chest tightly.

"M-Ma'am...look at me." he lifts half of her body into his arms, trying to get her respond again. Baekhyun is trembling so badly, he doesn't know what to do, "Can you still see me? P-Please...tell me what hurts."

She's sweating so much and she barely opens her eyes. Baekhyun can feel her legs shaking then getting tensed every now and then. He completely lifts her up and places her back to the bed.

Sehun's mother suddenly holds his hand. Her grip is so tight and firm.

"M-My son!" she exclaims, almost sounding so horrified while pleading. "P-Please..."

"I-I'll call him..." Baekhyun assures her, but she shakes her head as if it's not the answer she needs. She trembles as she becomes more hysterical, "Please calm down...the ambulance is coming. We'll get you to the hospital okay?"

"S-Sehun!"

Her voice is now hoarse. The fear crawls all over Baekhyun's body as he watches the color slowly leaving her while she breathes heavily. Her hold on his hand eventually loosens up. And by the time the ambulance car arrives, Baekhyun is already carrying her while running out of the house.

"P-Please hold on!" Baekhyun can't stop his tears now, "I'll find Sehun, okay? I-I promise...please hold on."

"I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry..." she repeatedly cries while slowly losing consciousness. Baekhyun watches the medical team settling her inside the ambulance before he gets inside as well. His face is stained with tears, especially now that she's completely unconscious with an oxygen trying to get her breathing stable.

Baekhyun is distraught. He clasps both his trembling hands together in the moving vehicle while he thinks of what to do first. In the process, his phone rings again, flashing the name of his father on screen.

"A-Appa?" he absentmindedly answers while trying to keep his hand from trembling uncontrollably.

"Baekhyun?" he fails to notice the change in his father's voice, "I want to tell you something..."

He sniffs and combs his hair in frustration.

"We will...we'll talk later, okay? I-I'll go to your house later. I j-just need to fix something now." he gulps before noticing his father's silence and a faint noise in the background, "Appa?"

"Chanyeol..."

Baekhyun blinks. His bloodshot eyes are suddenly fixed outside.

"What about him?" he asks and his heart doesn't seem to stop beating so fast, "What about Chanyeol?"

It's another silence once again. Baekhyun opens his mouth to ask one more time, but his father speaks.

"Look at...him."

Baekhyun's forehead creases.

"Look at—" he stops when he realizes the ambulance is stopping in front the emergency room entrance, "Appa, I'll call you again okay? I'll call you again later."

He hangs up and steps outside the ambulance and walks along with the nurses who are rushing Sehun's mother into the emergency area. He's so afraid. So many things are running inside his mind and the people's panicked shouting around him doesn't help at all.

He thought about contacting Sehun but he figures out that he left his phone because his mother contacted Baekhyun through it. The question is: why? Why did he leave it? Why did he leave his Mom alone like that? What's wrong with him?

Everything becomes a whirlwind. Baekhyun is a mess.

But he patiently waits outside. He weakly sits outside the door where they're trying to revive her. Baekhyun doesn't know how long it was. But every second that passed felt like hell. He doesn't know how long he's been staring at the floor.

What will happen to Sehun if she gets worse?

"W-What happened?! Where is she?!" he hears a hysterical voice in the hall and it's not a question. Sehun looks equally distraught as him, except that he's so hysterical. The staffs outside needed to stop him while Baekhyun can only watch on the side, speechless.

"We can't let you in, Sir."

"FUCK! LET ME IN PLEASE! THAT'S MY MOM!" his voice breaks something in Baekhyun's chest. Sehun almost kneeled in front of the nurses outside, "PLEASE! I-I WANT TO SEE HER!"

Baekhyun bites his lip to prevent a sob. He walks towards Sehun and hugs him tight. He felt how he stiffened when he realized it's Baekhyun. But his shoulders droop down weakly as he lets out heavier sobs. He clutches on the back of Baekhyun's clothes.

"P-Please...let me in..." Sehun wails like a child against his shoulder, "Eomma..."

It took a while before Sehun calms down and Baekhyun has been ignoring his vibrating phone inside his pocket. He prioritized his friend first. The call can wait. When Sehun finally stops crying, he makes him sit on the waiting area.

Sehun's hair is a mess. He got dark visible circles under his eyes and the stubble around his lips is already growing. Baekhyun gets to see it all just now. He wonders how long his mother had been this weak to have him this worked up. If he knew, then he could've let Sehun take a break from work.

Baekhyun watches him while he stares blankly on the floor, hiccupping every now and then. His hands are tensed and they're balled into fists. Baekhyun holds them with his own.

"It's going to be okay."

Sehun looks at him after that. He stares deep into Baekhyun's eyes and Baekhyun just...shivered. He blinks for a while and Sehun is already looking back on the floor with his bloodshot eyes.

His phone vibrates again.

"I-I'll be back..." he reluctantly tells Sehun before standing up to walk away. He walks out of the emergency hall to answer Jongdae's call.

"Dae..." he weakly says and was only greeted by Jongdae's heavy breathing, "Dae...what's wrong?"

"Baekhyun...I-I've been calling you for a lot of t-times."

"Sorry, there was an emergency."

Baekhyun blinks rapidly when he hears Jongdae groan and sob from the other line.

"Dae?"

"Oh B-Baek..." he cries and Baekhyun doesn't know if he can take anything more for this day, "the Chairman..."

Now his tongue is tied. It feels like he's thrown in a pool of ice.

"Appa?" his voice surprisingly doesn't break even when he barely feels his hands anymore, "What...what's wrong?"

"B-Baek..."

"Jongdae tell me!"

The next words made him fall right on the floor. He didn't hear anything after that. He didn't know anything around him anymore. It was a blur. A horrible, horrible blur.

"H-He's gone, Baek...he's dead." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i enjoy reading ur little analysis so keep em coming! ^^


	17. 16-Make It Up

It is the turning point of everything.

Numb. He feels numb. When he lost consciousness in the same hospital he was in, he knew he was still praying that it's all just a nightmare. And if not, just a horrible prank from Jongdae. He would accept it better.

But when Baekhyun woke up in a hospital ward with face dried with tears and his best friend standing beside him, the truth slapped him harder in the face. All he could do was accept Jongdae's embrace, cry against his shoulders and mumble _Appa _repeatedly. He was still thankful that Jongdae was there. He was still there, when everything is already taken away from him.

When he got home, he's not crying anymore.

He's just there, hearing the news passively without shedding tears. Baekhyun is just there, but his heart and his mind are not.

The Chairman _'killed' _himself, according to the authorities. His car was parked in a secluded road and gunshots were heard. When the authorities came, he's already dead. _Shot in the head. _And the gun was allegedly in his hand, explaining the incident as suicide. There's not a single witness who saw what happened, but the people near the said road heard the gunshots.

_Gunshots._

That single word didn't go unnoticed to Baekhyun. He badly wants to laugh and cuss at the same time. _Maybe his father just felt like wasting a bullet before shooting himself, did he? _His chest felt so tight and his breath is shortened. Everything about it didn't make sense. Everything was so unfair.

He let all the words from the police enter his ear before they exit the other. Baekhyun stared on the floor, point blank. The policemen eventually decided not to discuss it further for now, since the businessman's son was obviously too distraught to even respond.

It's already late at night and he finds himself walking in a quiet house. And then it hurts again. It's hell once again. When he walks inside the empty bedroom with still the same liquor bottles scattered on the floor as before, the tears he's been holding in for a while just burst at once. He cries hard, until it's hard to breathe. He hoped it would lessen the pain, but it doesn't. Not a single bit.

His almost dead phone faintly lightens up, flashing Minseok's name on the screen while it rings urgently. Baekhyun remains curled up on the bed while painful sobs escape his lips. He doesn't spare it a look, not even a quick glance until the ringing stops. Until the room is only left with the sound of his cries.

While hugging the sheets his father owned, Baekhyun is left alone, in pain. And along with everything and everyone he already lost, he lost himself as well.

x

Chanyeol watches him sitting on the front seat inside the funeral hall. People who come and go greet or bow at him once they see him. But more than anyone, they all express their sympathy for Baekhyun himself, who's staring into space in front of the Chairman's coffin. Baekhyun refuses to speak to anyone about his father's death, but he remains courteous to the people who personally express their condolences to him. Chanyeol has already memorized the cycle. His husband will shake the hands of the people greeting him with a small and very much forced smile on his face. After talking to them for a split second, he will let his assistant do the rest of the talking while he goes back into watching the Chairman's coffin as if it's going to leave his sight.

He refused to talk to the media so Chanyeol gets the company's spokesperson to do it for him, making sure only minimal details will come out to the public. He organizes the funeral and the tight security around everyone. Even without Baekhyun asking for it, he fixes everything for him.

"Chanyeol..." he hears Minseok mumbling beside him when the people around them walked away, "I'm really worried about Baek."

He doesn't say anything. He only stares at Baekhyun.

"He doesn't speak that much and he looks so lost." Minseok adds, "Has he talked to you yet?"

Chanyeol glances at his assistant, processing his question in his mind. Not yet. Baekhyun hasn't said a word to him. He's not coming home yet. He doesn't even know if he's aware of his presence.

In the end, he sighs heavily.

"Let him be." he says as he crosses his arms over his chest, "He's grieving."

He watches the same forced smile forming on Baekhyun's lips as more visitors walk towards him. And something in his chest is twisting. He doesn't know until when will Baekhyun be like this. But he sure can't endure it for too long.

"But do you think Chairman Byun really killed himself?"

The thoughts wandering his mind recently are provoked again. He will be lying if he says that what happened hasn't been bothering him a lot lately when he shouldn't care. He despised the man, why should he be bothered by his death?

But it hasn't left his mind since then.

"It's what the authorities said." he simply answers Minseok who chose to remain silent after that.

After a while, a famous businessman comes in the hall to pay his respects. He came along with his wife. As expected, there are a lot of cameras outside and even if the funeral is private, some of them managed to reach the premises and take pictures from the outside.

"He's gone too soon." the man sighs in sympathy in the midst of talking to Chanyeol, "And your husband? How is he doing?"

"He's grieving, Sir. But he'll be fine."

"Ah...it must be so hard for him." he looks around, "Where is he?"

Chanyeol immediately spots Baekhyun, who's standing in front of his father's portrait again. He slowly blinks before looking back at the couple in front of him.

"He's right there in front." he says, "I'll introduce you to him."

He walks toward where Baekhyun is. He also grabs this chance to talk to him as well. He never got the chance to do it, since Baekhyun hasn't been going back to his mansion for a while now.

When he gets closer to him, his hand gently touches his waist like what he usually does. So he's taken aback when Baekhyun immediately flinches with his touch. His tired eyes fall on him and he steps back when he sees his face. Chanyeol creases his brows because of his reaction.

Baekhyun's eyes look so foreign to him. They only linger on him for a while before it moves to the people behind him.

"My condolences, Baekhyun-ah..."

Chanyeol is still spacing out from what happened yet Baekhyun is already smiling in front of him. He shakes the hand of the businessman and he also sees the cameras outside.

"I'm fine, Mr. and Mrs. Son." Baekhyun answers when he was asked. Chanyeol can tell how much he's faking it and he doesn't understand how the people around them continuously buy it.

"It's good that you have Mr. Park beside you..." the man says in concern while looking at the both of them, "You need to have someone with you during this hard time."

Baekhyun's eerie smile remains plastered on his face the whole time. He nods at this, "I know...I surely can't do this without him."

Chanyeol feels so wrong even when Baekhyun is holding onto his arm. He tries to hold his hand but Baekhyun holds his arm firmly to prevent him from doing so.

"We hope the investigation is going smoothly." the woman says this time.

Baekhyun chuckles, "Yes. My husband here has got everything under his control. He works neatly, we all know that."

Chanyeol looks at him but Baekhyun remains facing the people in front of him with a smile. They both nod as a response, failing to notice the underlying tone in his words.

"He's got everything fixed. See?" he points his father's coffin that got Chanyeol staring at him bluntly.

The couple's smiles slightly fade. They share a subtle glance when they misunderstood his words.

"Baekhyun..." Chanyeol mumbles.

"The funeral is organized. All of my husband's doing." Baekhyun says that got the couple in front of them blinking in realization.

"That is good to hear."

"Right? My father will be so proud for leaving me with such a good husband." he smiles wider, "Excuse me first. I need to go to the restroom." he bows and doesn't spare them another glance as he struts away.

Chanyeol grits his teeth before forcing a smile at the couple in front of him.

"Excuse me as well. Please make yourselves comfortable."

He had to stop a visitor going in the restroom and told him to go to the other one instead. When he gets inside, it's indeed just Baekhyun occupying it. His eyes caught Chanyeol through the reflection but his gaze goes back to his hands under the faucet.

"There are no cameras here Chanyeol."

He dismissed the sarcastic remark as he slams the restroom door close. Baekhyun doesn't flinch, even just a bit. He remains washing his hand while looking straight at his own face in the mirror.

Chanyeol is pissed, but as soon as they're left alone in such a confined space, he's left with no brave words to utter. He leans on the door while watching Baekhyun, his lips pursed.

"What was that for?" he asks, rather calmly, "What was the attitude for?"

Baekhyun plays deaf. He washes his hands continuously as if they're too dirty from holding his.

"Aren't you supposed to be a perfect husband to me?"

"Don't switch the question to me Baekhyun." Chanyeol stands straight, his words are firm, "And you know that's not my point."

Baekhyun looks at him through the reflection. His gaze is sharp even when his lips are slightly curved. Chanyeol can see how his teeth are subtly gritted.

"Sorry..." Baekhyun shrugs, "Maybe I should cry. Yeah, when I go out I'll cry and I'll let them see how you hush me. I'll make sure the media gets it—"

"Stop it." Chanyeol cuts him in between, "Stop it. That's..." he pauses and Baekhyun raises his brows when he stutters, "That is not what I want. That's not what I'm trying to say."

Baekhyun's eyes look so soulless. Chanyeol can't even form the right words to say and he ends up just swallowing them.

"Oh it's not?" he hates how he sounds so nonchalant. Baekhyun is being so unpredictable right now, and he's afraid that it might be because of what he think it is. "You want a different scenario then? What? Tell me and maybe I can work on that. My acting skills are being put into use recently, you know." he grins even when Chanyeol looks seriously frustrated in front of him.

Chanyeol gulps while slowly nodding. He looks down on his shoes while Baekhyun waits for his words.

"Fine." Chanyeol lets out a huge breath, "I want you to go home. Go back to the mansion and talk this out with me. Stop with all this guessing game, Baekhyun. That's what I want."

Baekhyun's jaw hardens. His gaze pierces through Chanyeol's serious one and he finds himself surrendering after a while when he starts stepping away.

He forces himself against Chanyeol to try and open the door but the latter won't let him. Chanyeol's hand tightly grasps his wrist and Baekhyun tries to fight to get to the door but he's pulled and forced to face him.

"Get off me! Fuck! Get away from me!"

"No, Baekhyun. You fucking listen to me first!" he grunts in pain when Baekhyun tries to kick his leg so he had no choice but to pin him hard against the door, producing a loud thumping sound. "_Shit."_

"Baekhyun stop." he says with finality while he cages him between his arms. Baekhyun looks up to his face, eyes glistening while he glares at him. He's panting heavily from the resisting he did. "I know you're mourning, but stop being like this. Tell me what the fuck is wrong!"

Baekhyun stops fighting but he's still breathing heavily. He laughs in front of Chanyeol's face even when his eyes are glassy. He blinks to keep them dry without looking away from Chanyeol.

"Are you going to hurt me too?"

The question hits Chanyeol hard. His grip on Baekhyun slightly loosens up. Baekhyun's tone made his breath hitched. The shorter competes with his gaze, especially after seeing how he got taken aback by his simple question. He had to blink for a few times before having the courage to speak.

"You think I killed him..." he says through his breath, brows creasing. "You think I killed your father, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun doesn't answer. But he grits his teeth while still panting.

Chanyeol's mouth opened in awe. He tries to speak but he can't find the right words anymore, until Baekhyun finally escapes his hold.

He fixes his suit while his expression becomes cold again. His bloodshot eyes didn't even spare Chanyeol a glance, even when he's weakly standing in front of him.

"Don't touch my hand again outside. Let me cling onto you." Baekhyun's voice is barely recognizable as he tries to keep it firm, "I look more inferior like that. I get more sympathy." he says humorously before going out of the restroom.

Baekhyun remained consistent. He didn't shed a tear throughout the whole funeral days. It was only until the Chairman's last night when he let his tears flow while he spoke for the eulogy. Everyone could see how much he tried to hold his tears back but failed miserably. Chanyeol can only watch on the corner, bothered to the extent of not knowing what to do as well.

_"I can't...accept why everything must end like this." Baekhyun said in his eulogy. He bit his lip as he swallowed hard, "All I know is...my father is a good man."_

And it was like that. When the morning of his interment came, Baekhyun was just there, standing and lifelessly staring at the coffin of his father going under the ground. The movements of the flowers being thrown seem so slow.

Chanyeol intentionally puts his flower last to let the people leave first. He stands there in silence, beside Baekhyun who didn't move an inch since he stood there. Right then, he steps closer and pulls him by the shoulder. He hugs him tight.

Baekhyun stands stiff in his arms. He doesn't feel his hands wrapping around him to hug him back, but he doesn't care. He holds the back of his head gently. Baekhyun's blank stare remains into space.

When Chanyeol feels his hand on him, the relief is short-lived when it's basically just to gently push him away.

Chanyeol stares at him, but Baekhyun stares on the grass instead.

"Let's go home." Chanyeol gently says, "You haven't eaten anything yet."

He doesn't know if Baekhyun will speak to him. But it doesn't matter.

As long as he goes home.

He reaches for his hand but the shorter immediately pulls it away.

"I can't. I still have to fix something." Baekhyun says without looking at him and his falling expression, "I'm calling a meeting this afternoon. For the board, and your executives as well."

Chanyeol's brows cross, "Today? We can move it some other time, Baek."

Baekhyun only shakes his head.

"Today." he sighs exhaustedly, "I want to rest. I'll just see you this afternoon."

He didn't have the chance to answer when Baekhyun already walks away. Chanyeol can only watch him, something heavy is in his chest. He doesn't move from his post until Baekhyun is a step away from a different car that will drive him back to his father's house.

He exhales deeply and turns around to leave as well. He slightly stops when he sees Sehun standing a few feet away, looking at Chairman Byun's unfinished grave. Compared to Baekhyun, he looks even more distraught. His face looks so lifeless. Chanyeol stares at him, partially expecting him to look back but he doesn't. He remains watching the man burying the coffin.

Chanyeol creases his brows but he doesn't say anything anymore. He walks away leaving Sehun, whose gaze is fixed on the same thing for so long.

The day runs so fast and before he knows it, it's 3PM in the afternoon. Still the same day as the Chairman's funeral, but they're already in the Byun's company building for a business agenda. Chanyeol is immediately bombarded by questions from the other board members but he can't answer them specifically when he knows nothing much as well.

Flair's Chief Financial Officer came along with him. Minseok is still on his way from a meeting. The conference room is buzzing with conversations from the shareholders, mainly confused to why Baekhyun is suddenly calling for a board meeting when his father just died. Chanyeol is seated on the other end of the table, his finger tracing his lips while he spaces out. The words from the businessmen around him only goes in and out of his ears.

The murmuring sound stops in an instant and just as anyone can guess, Baekhyun comes in the room. Everyone had their lips sealed, sharing only glances then watching every movement from him. Baekhyun bows at them, flashing a professional smile even when his eyes are still puffy.

His eyes meet Chanyeol for split second, but when the latter blinks, Baekhyun's focus is already somewhere else.

Sehun bows from the door. He avoids anyone's gaze and immediately spots an empty chair for himself. Chanyeol observes him subtly. The man still looks unusually distressed.

"Sorry for making you wait." Baekhyun's voice stands out from the silence, "I know most of you are confused why I'm calling you too soon."

Everyone has their eyes on him, anticipating his next words. Chanyeol's gaze doesn't leave him. He can feel his heart beating fast against his chest. The small smile on Baekhyun's lips doesn't make him feel any better.

"I don't want to waste your time so I'm going straight to the point." he gulps as he slowly nods, "I'm stepping down from my position as the company's CEO and board director."

The room is filled once again with the same buzzing sound. Not as loud as the previous one, but enough to make him feel he has to explain further.

"I know...it's too fast. But I can't leave this company in uncertainty. I can't let my father's hard work go into waste just because I'm incapable." he sadly smiles and they fall silent once more, "From the beginning...I..."

Baekhyun looks down when he pauses. He swallows the lump in his throat as he strives to continue. When he lifts his gaze, he catches Chanyeol staring at him. His eyes are full of questions – _what are you doing, Baekhyun? What the hell do you think you're doing?_

But instead of stopping, it only gave him courage to go on.

"I've never been meant to do this. I can't. And I don't want to lead something that was built with qualities that I lack. I can never be as good as my father, that's the truth. And as early as now, I want to protect BEPE, to continue my father's legacy. And I can't do that if I stay."

A few of them sighed, but no one really dared to disrupt Baekhyun's words. More than anyone, Chanyeol knows what the following words will be. But unlike how he imagined it, it's far from the satisfaction he thought he'll be having.

"In line with this..." Baekhyun clears his throat, "Everyone knows about the recent partnership of the company. I'm sure this may have crossed your minds. But this is the best solution I can think of."

The same smile is etched on his face, he fails to notice how Chanyeol's jaw hardens from the other side of the table. Or at least he chooses to dismiss it.

He understands. Chanyeol wasn't notified. It's his decision, the one that has been in his mind for the past few days. And Chanyeol could've strategized a better way to stage this. But Baekhyun isn't waiting anymore. He wants it done as soon as possible.

Just one time. Just this time, he wants to be in control.

"I'm giving my shares to my husband. And since the partnership has successfully set off as well, he now holds the biggest authority." Baekhyun smiles to everyone but him. And it makes him even more frustrated, "I'm leaving the company under his care. BEPE will be led by Chanyeol from now on."

There's a few gasps from them, but some are not surprised. Most of them even look happy and satisfied with Baekhyun's decision. There are sudden conversations going on everywhere. Chanyeol is the only one silent on his seat. He feels congratulatory pats on his arm.

Everyone is smiling at him, even Baekhyun. He fucking hates it. It looks exactly like his smiles from the recent week. Forced and not genuine.

"You can't be serious with this."

The buzzing sound fades off when they hear a chuckle of disbelief. Sehun leans on the table with his elbows. His eyes pierce through Baekhyun while he grins sarcastically.

"This is your best solution, Baekhyun? To leave the company to someone who barely knows how it works? Your best solution is to let someone change the company and the system your employees are used to live by?"

The board looks at him but Sehun bravely glares at Baekhyun. His chest is heaving while he shoots his brows up at him.

Baekhyun looks taken aback but he calmly answers him, "Sehun, the one with the biggest shares gets the power to lead the board. And it's my choice to give him BEPE. I know my father would've—"

"No. You don't know what the Chairman would've felt if he hears you." Sehun clenches his jaw, "You're giving the company to the person who knows it the least? Is that how worthless your father's legacy is for you?"

"What do you suggest, Mr. Oh?" an old board member asks Sehun, "I must say the partnership with Flair has brought us a huge impact in such a short period of time. Even more than what we expected. Having Mr. Park handle BEPE is not a bad choice."

Chanyeol's eyes only travel from Sehun to Baekhyun. He chose to remain silent.

"There are so many ways." Sehun almost hissed.

"Have you forgotten that he's Baekhyun's husband?" another one asks, "He's not entirely an outsider. He's part of the chain. It's not surprising if he holds the largest shares or if Baekhyun gives it to an immediate family—which is, still him anyway."

Sehun doesn't say anything anymore. But the way his lips curve while his jaw hardens only implies that he's still very much against it.

"I know my choice is very sudden. I understand your opinion, Sehun. And I want to be fair to everyone." Baekhyun sighs exhaustedly, "Okay, let's vote for it then. Anyone, aside from Sehun, who's against my decision for appointing Chanyeol as the new CEO and director, please raise your hand."

The people glance around them to see who's about to do it. Sehun is only looking straight at the table while Chanyeol stares at Baekhyun.

Two from the board members in the room hesitantly raise their hands. They're two of the oldest board members who are very traditional when it comes to business processes so Baekhyun understands them. They don't want any drastic changes in the company. He's just not sure if Sehun has the same reason as them.

"Okay. So there are three of you in total." Baekhyun points out, "How about those who honestly agree with my decision, raise your hands this time."

Chanyeol's continuous watching of Baekhyun only stops this time when he looks down the table as majority of the people around him raise their hands. Baekhyun gulps before a curve forms on his lips. He nods without hesitations.

"There you go. Majority wins." the murmurs surround the room again, almost overpowering Baekhyun's voice this time as the decision gets finalized. "It was nice working with you all. If ever you have any concerns about this or anything, don't hesitate to talk to me today." most of them stand up when Baekhyun does, "Effective tomorrow, everything will be decided by Chanyeol himself. I expect my executives to help him on adjustments and company culture. I'm hoping that each of you will help and assist him into leading BEPE into success."

Baekhyun bows to all of them, a lot longer than the usual. When he straightens up, he's still smiling. While Chanyeol sits opposite to him, staring at him helplessly. He can't even bring himself to smile. Baekhyun's eyes linger on him for a while before his attention is completely drawn to Sehun, who rushes out of the hall to leave. Chanyeol fails to spot Baekhyun anymore when he's cornered by the board members, congratulating him. They're probably starting to kiss his ass since he's in control of the board and the company now.

"I'm sorry...but please excuse me for a while." he politely says when it's been a while and he still hasn't found a way to escape them.

His steps are big. Chanyeol looks around the halls trying to spot Baekhyun among the employees looking at him intriguingly. Someone grabs his arm while he's walking.

"Hey Chairman, where d'you think you're going?" his CFO, Yunho, grins at him. Minseok is with him, but unlike the man who's humorously teasing him, Minseok is looking at him in confusion, obviously shocked by the news as well.

Chanyeol looks at him before looking back at the CFO beside him, "Let's talk later, Yunho. I need to find Baekhyun first."

"Wait—wait, but you'll see each other in your house! This can't wait!"

He pulls his arm away, "Goddammit, we'll talk later!"

He dismisses his friend calling for him as he rushes his way to Baekhyun's office. Chanyeol hears steps beside him and Minseok finally reaches his pace.

"Chanyeol, what's happening? Is it true? You lead BEPE now?" Minseok continuously asks while he pants, "What's with Baekhyun? This is not what we planned—"

"I don't have any fucking idea, Minseok. Okay?"

He doesn't bother knocking anymore as he strides inside. His expression becomes even grimmer when he sees Sehun sitting on the chair in front of Baekhyun's table. They both look at Chanyeol and Minseok who went inside without a word.

Baekhyun blinks a few times before nodding once at Sehun. The latter still looks frustrated over the meeting but he's a lot calmer now, and Chanyeol wonders why.

His gaze competes with Chanyeol on his way out and Chanyeol had to control himself. He sighs heavily before turning to Baekhyun.

"Chanyeol...aren't you supposed to—"

"What are you doing, Baekhyun?" Chanyeol demands as he walks around his table to stand right in front of him. Baekhyun's steps back but Chanyeol keeps the small space between them as it is.

"This is what we planned."

"This isn't and you know it! We're not supposed to do it this fast!" Chanyeol breathes heavily, "I was giving you time...I'm willing to give you all the time you need—"

"I don't need...any..." Baekhyun stutters while looking at his chest instead, "I had enough time. I want it done quickly."

"Why?" Chanyeol breathes, trying to catch his gaze.

Baekhyun sadly smiles, yet he doesn't let himself look straight into Chanyeol's eyes or else he'll give in. So fast.

"Why are you rushing it, Baekhyun?" he repeats, almost weakly. Possibilities enter his mind and he's not sure if he can afford when any of them is actually what's happening, "What do you have in mind? Huh? What, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun shakes his head, "Nothing."

"Fuck..." Chanyeol combs his fingers through his hair in so much frustration, "I-I badly...want to know what runs in your mind. Please."

Baekhyun smiles reassuringly, "Nothing, Chanyeol..." he gulps, "I just want to give you what you've always wanted from the start. That's all..."

Chanyeol shakes his head. This isn't what he has always wanted. Not any of this.

They're interrupted when someone barges inside. It's Yunho again, this time he looks a little embarrassed seeing how serious they are. Chanyeol's confused eyes remain on Baekhyun even when the latter is already facing Yunho with a smile.

"Oops...sorry." he smiles sheepishly and Chanyeol is now glaring at him, "Hi, Baek!"

"Hey, Yunho." Baekhyun smiles as if nothing happened.

"I just came in to tell Chanyeol so he'll stop being an asshole." Yunho sweetly smiles at him before turning to Chanyeol, "Flair has prepared a small party for you, idiot! They've been waiting for so long that's what I've been trying to tell you before you decided to brush me off!"

Baekhyun laughs beside him and he doesn't know how he does that. Chanyeol can't even bring himself to fake one, and neither can Minseok. They're both watching Baekhyun as if he's a puzzle to be solved.

"Thanks Baekhyun for telling me beforehand so we can prepare a celebration for Chanyeol." Yunho adds, "Now I hope he'll stop being a menopausal man so he can finally leave with us. I understand if you won't come since...I know you're still mourning. But anytime you change your mind, you're always welcome Baekhyun!"

Chanyeol's lips are now parted in disbelief. Baekhyun even got them to arrange a party for him? This is beyond ridiculous.

"No, I'll be going home early tonight. I need to finish some errands." Baekhyun smiles, "But Chanyeol...he can definitely go with you now. I don't want his executives waiting. Thanks for the invite though."

Baekhyun faces him, raising his brows in anticipation.

"I'm not going." Chanyeol mumbles to him.

"You will. Please, Chanyeol. Don't waste their effort." Baekhyun firmly tells him before nodding at Minseok and Yunho. "Go on."

"Promise we won't be drinking that much!" Yunho chuckles.

Baekhyun shakes his head, "No worries. Please enjoy." he gulps, "Minseok."

Minseok faces him when he suddenly calls him.

"Just..." he swallows again as if it's getting too hard to keep the same smile etched on his face, "You look after Chanyeol...okay?"

Minseok isn't able to answer immediately. He's stunned on his feet, breath hitching while he looks at the smile on Baekhyun's face that is uncannily familiar to him. Chanyeol looks at the both of them. It took Minseok a while before he blinks rapidly from spacing out, his eyes are glistening a bit. His smile looks so forced as well while he nods at Baekhyun, "O-Of course."

A certain moment from long time ago repeats in his head. It's here.

He takes quick steps towards Baekhyun before hugging him tight. Chanyeol can't figure out what's happening anymore.

"Of course, Baek..." he hears Minseok mumbling. Baekhyun feels the pain now from the excessive smiling, but he hugs Minseok back. It's like they both have their own world. Minseok pulls away and doesn't look back as he walks out of the room, "Let's go."

Chanyeol doesn't move. His eyes are full of questions directed to Baekhyun, hoping he'll answer them. But he feels his arm being pulled away along with his body. And even with the teasing he got from Yunho, or anyone congratulating him happily for his success, he's deaf for all of them.

He realizes this isn't what he wanted. He just wants to keep one thing. But it seems like it's the one he's losing now.

x

"What do you think was he thinking that time?"

Looking at that smile, it warms his heart all the time. Among the many things he regret, having this photo framed isn't one of them. He and Chanyeol look so happy in this candid wedding photo taken by their photographer. Even with hundreds of things making it difficult for Baekhyun, this one makes him smile all the time.

The helper beside him looks at him when he suddenly initiates a conversation. A very weird one, at least. But she looks at it as well as if she hasn't seen it every day. She turns to Baekhyun with a knowing smile.

"I don't know... You, probably? He's looking at you." she says with a small smile.

Baekhyun's eyes crinkle, "You think so?"

She nods without hesitation, "I think you make him so happy."

He smiles wide before biting his lip. The feeling in his chest is inexplicable. Any time now, the pain will be more difficult to bear.

"Baekhyun?" he faces the other helper who called him from the door, "It's done. I put it over your bedside table."

He smiles.

"Thanks, Jungah." the maid immediately turns away, but he was able to see her wiping a tear on the side of her eye.

"How long will you be on vacation, Sir?" the young helper beside him asks. Baekhyun looks at her and he sees the curiosity on her face, "I just heard...from the other maids."

Baekhyun taps her arm, chuckling lightly.

"Not too long..."

He looks around his bedroom, faintly illuminated by his bedside lamp. The lump in his throat becomes harder to swallow. The silence comforts him this time. He's alone with the maids in the mansion he hasn't seen for the past week. Baekhyun sits on the edge of the bed and roams his gaze around for another time.

Every part of this house screams a lot about Chanyeol. This time, he doesn't mind at all. For the past three years, he has left his trace here as well. Somehow, it brings him a little joy thinking that they've shared this for the past years. Whether the good or bad memories this city and this house had given him, Baekhyun is still grateful.

He lays down on the bed, making himself comfortable on the bed he has called his own. He rests his hand on his stomach and puts his other arm under his head. Everything he planned has successfully been done. He wonders if Chanyeol had given him a chance to actually do something on his own before. Maybe some things might actually work out right.

But no, it's too late. He had one, and this is that chance.

For the first time, Baekhyun doesn't cry himself to sleep, and it was harder than he thought it would be. He managed to close his eyes with a smile, despite the heaviest his heart has been. He had a lot of thoughts, but he successfully set them aside for his dreams. Maybe in his sleep, he'll dream of his father. _His family, maybe. His old life at Jeollanam-do. Or maybe he'll wake up and everything was simply a nightmare. The Chairman isn't gone. He'll welcome him in the office with that smile identical to his._

But you know what's funny? He still dreamt of the same thing. The same damn thing where he sits in front of the sunset, while arms warmly wrap around him. He dreamt of the same kisses. Promises. And just when he thought he won't cry anymore, he's wrong, again. Because it hurts. The dream felt real. Maybe it is real. Maybe he got tired. He's sorry and ashamed, but he's just tired.

_Chanyeol._

"Chanyeol?"

Baekhyun's voice is hoarse from the deep sleep he had. The side of his face is slightly wet from tears. He wipes them with his hand and tries to look at the figure on the edge of his bed. The lights are closed but he knows it's Chanyeol.

He sits up and rubs his eyes. Chanyeol is sitting under his feet, eyes lingering on him. Baekhyun blinks to stare at him properly but he's already moving from where he is. Before he knows it, Chanyeol is crawling on his bed closer to him.

"C-Chanyeol..." he breathes when Chanyeol held his face, their noses are almost touching while his thumb caresses his cheek.

"Baek..."

"You're d-drunk."

Chanyeol is unresponsive. He only stares deep into Baekhyun's eyes with his drowsy ones. Baekhyun can tell he had a lot of liquor tonight, so he tries to garner his courage and speak.

"You should rest."

"Am I hurting you..."

Baekhyun falls silent. He blinks but he couldn't answer him that fast.

"Am I hurting you so much...Baek?" Chanyeol places his forehead against him this time while his deep voice breaks, "I'm...sorry."

Chanyeol kisses him fully on the lips. His face tilts up because he's kneeling between his legs. His lips are wet, and Baekhyun can taste the liquor from them as if getting him drunk as well. Chanyeol pulls away but Baekhyun keeps his hand on his face, kissing him more. When he tries to catch his breath again, Chanyeol's lips move down to his neck. He had to hold on his arm to keep his back from falling.

"Baek..." he mumbles against his jaw before returning to his lips again, "I'll make it up to you, I promise..."

Baekhyun bites his lip to stop a sob. He's been dreaming to hear this for so long, but this isn't the right time. The chance had already passed. And he should know better.

Then again, he only smiles and accepts his kiss. He can feel Chanyeol's frustration getting more intense. He wants more. And he badly wants to make Baekhyun feel good.

His white polo is the first one to reach the floor. Baekhyun's lips are swollen as he pulls the hem of his shirt off through his head. Chanyeol had their lips clasped once again while he impatiently pulls Baekhyun's only clothing down his legs, throwing them to the floor before he positions himself between him. Baekhyun breathlessly lays on his back, his arousal touching his lower abdomen as he spreads his legs wider.

Chanyeol leans down to kiss him again, taking his time on his neck while his hands roam around his body. The roughness of his hands against his skin makes Baekhyun shiver. He lets out a moan as he takes a handful of Chanyeol's hair while he devours his chest, down to his torso with his wet kisses.

"Y-Yeol..."

"Tell me..." he mumbles against his tummy, "Tell me where you want me."

"There...p-please. Touch me there..."

The way his nose trace his sensitive flesh drives Baekhyun mad. His tongue traces through his inner thigh, while his fingers rub his wet slit. Baekhyun parts his mouth to breathe through it. Tears of pleasure form on the corner of his eyes when he feels his cheeks below getting spread while Chanyeol devours him there. Baekhyun barely recognizes his voice, he calls his name while he arches his waist up for more. Chanyeol's big arms wrapped around his legs couldn't even keep him still.

"C-Chanyeol...ah, please...p-please!" Baekhyun's panting crazily when his cock gets stroked under him as well. He clutches tight on the sheets beside him, moaning earnestly while Chanyeol breathes against his sensitivity. His throat feels dry from breathing and whimpering when Chanyeol finally stops.

His messed up hair and his flaming gaze while he kneels between him with only his pants didn't help Baekhyun at all. He lets out a pleading groan. Chanyeol pulls him by the leg, "More?"

Baekhyun gulps the dryness in his throat, breathing heavily through his lips. "Fuck me...hard. Please. P-Please Chanyeol."

He swiftly pulls his pants down without removing his darkening eyes at Baekhyun, all spread out under him. He pushes Baekhyun's knee up while he strokes his now aching cock, "Come on, spread it more for me." Baekhyun firmly holds his knees close to his chest while biting his lip hard in anticipation. Chanyeol grunts, his arm finds its way around Baekhyun's leg to lift it while he rams inside. He pays no heed about his pace as he goes faster in an instant.

He eventually lets go of Baekhyun legs to hold his weight with his hands on both sides of his head. The shorter wraps his legs around his waist by instinct, arching his waist up to meet his thrusts. Chanyeol's kisses muffled his moans. His sweaty body slides up the sheets with the way Chanyeol hastily slams inside his hole. Baekhyun cannot tell whatever's real around him anymore.

Chanyeol huffs against his neck. He feels it. It's getting closer. Baekhyun had to shut his eyes.

"Oh...B-Baekhyun. _Fuck..._"

Just this time. One last time.

"C-Chanyeol..."

His thrusts slow down yet they become harder. He spills inside him, just as Baekhyun's hands fall down from his shoulders. He strokes his shaft before he follows, cumming on his torso and his slender fingers. Chanyeol pulls out before falling right over his body with his face on his neck. Baekhyun hugs his shoulders around while his glistening eyes stare straight into the ceiling.

Chanyeol feels heavy above him. But with his warm breathing against his neck, Baekhyun doesn't mind. He runs his fingers through his hair while his other arm remains around his shoulder.

And that was it. Baekhyun won't ask for anything more. It's enough.

"My love..." he mumbles under his breath before shutting his eyes when he silently cries. He hugs him tighter so Chanyeol wouldn't see if ever, "thank you."

"I'm so afraid..." he hears a sleepy mumble from him, "You make me so afraid..."

He sheds more and more silent tears until the breathing on his neck gets stable.

Baekhyun is equally afraid.

He pities himself, it's given. But until this point, where he's already decided, he can't come up with a good reason for being pathetic for so long.

Baekhyun clutches his chest, trying to breathe through his mouth silently while he watches Chanyeol peacefully sleeping on his bed, hugging his pillow like how he embraced him. He grips the handle of his luggage tighter. And with one silent step closer, he makes sure he looks at him better. He purses his lips and stops before he takes too long.

He steps towards his bedside table as quiet as he can, reaching for the ticket reservation he asked from a maid a while ago. He holds onto it like his dear life. And he doesn't spare Chanyeol another glance anymore, nor his room. He doesn't know up to what extent his decision will take him if it goes against Chanyeol himself.

Baekhyun directly steps out of the mansion with his swollen eyes and sore body. He isn't even fully aware of what he's doing. When he reaches the bus terminal that is almost secluded because it's the middle of the night, that's the only time he's convinced he's still sane enough.

When he sits in the middle of the bus, everything sinks in at once. He's leaving, for real. And it was actually his decision to stand for himself.

Baekhyun repeats the same mantra in his head while the bus gets farther from Seoul. Everyone around him is sleeping. But he's spacing out on his seat, saying the same things to himself: _Baekhyun, you did this for yourself, not for anyone._

And without shutting his eyes to sleep, he reaches the province side after hours. Baekhyun watches straight out the window, looking at the tall trees and mountain silhouettes from the dark. Unlike the usual tall buildings he was seeing a while ago, this feels like a totally different world. The world he really belongs to.

When the bus finally stops after more than four hours, it's almost sunrise. Baekhyun stands in the middle of the busy crowd in the terminal, pinching himself that he's indeed seeing the place in front of him. Despite looking so lost, he still remembers most of it. Something in his chest intensely twists from nostalgia. He blinks the tears away while he walks into the quiet neighborhood.

With only his luggage behind him, Baekhyun slowly walks into the uncivilized streets of Jeollanam-do. From where he is, he can see the sun rising against the hill that's very familiar to him. A huge building standing out among the field from the distance flashes the big letters 'BEPE'. And everything is like a whirlwind flashing right in front of him. He walks faster. And maybe he's gone crazy, but he can still see his foolish younger self boyishly grinning while Chanyeol reaches for his hand. Everything doesn't make sense anymore. Baekhyun finds it hard to breathe.

He endures every part of the place that holds their memories, and when he reaches the front of the small house, his face is already stained with tears. He lets it all out while placing a few knocks on it, which were answered after a short while. His mother's eyes widen just by seeing him. But her shoulders droop down and his face softens when Baekhyun sobs harder.

"Eomma..."

The old woman lets go of the pan she's holding. Both her arms reach out for him, welcoming him with open arms that Baekhyun had to let his luggage fall on the ground without a word. He embraces her. And his cries are so painful to hear. Baekhyun has been through a lot. And most of the time, he was alone going through it.

Life did him dirty when all he did was to love. Maybe a little stupidly, but still, did he deserve it?

"Oh Baekhyun..." his mother cries while caressing his hair, "Sshh...it's okay. I-I'm sorry. Eomma shouldn't have left you."

Baekhyun is unresponsive. He buries his face on her chest as he hugs her tighter, as if he was deprived of the love only his mother could give.

"You're home now...no one's going to hurt you again..."

She's right. But the pain is there. And it doesn't go away. It will _never _go away, even if he's home.


	18. 17-Destroyed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments ^u^

“Hyung…”

The voice sounds a little muffled. He grasps on his pillow tighter, his face scrunches every now and then. The sound he’s making becomes louder.

“Hyung, wake up.”

He flinches when someone taps his arm, the breath he’s been holding in is deeply exhaled once he opens his eyes. Yeri’s concerned face is the first thing he sees.

“S-Sorry…”

“You’re dreaming.” she points out seriously, “Are you okay? You’re sweating a lot and you’re making weird noises.”

“I’m fine.” Baekhyun lies while gulping the dryness in his throat. He looks at Yeri who’s quietly observing him while trying to recover, “Just a bad dream.”

He collects his breath for a minute, his head placed on both his palms. He removes the vague details of his dream from his thoughts, not wanting to remember any of it further.

Baekhyun gains the courage to smile at his little sister this time, though it looks more apologetic.

“I said I’m walking you to school today…” he says sheepishly, “and I overslept.”

She smiles, “You did. But it’s fine, I have more time. Have your breakfast first then we can go.”

He stands up and ruffles her hair gently. He walks out of his small room, “Caring sis.”

“Baekhyung?” she calls and Baekhyun turns to her.

Yeri looks hesitant and she ends up just smiling again. Baekhyun blinks in awe.

“Tell me…what you’re up to, okay? I’ll go and do it with you.”

Baekhyun smiles, suddenly feeling like he has to reassure her, and everyone else.

“Ah!” Baekhyun whines when they began walking under the sun, “Didn’t I buy you a bike? Why are we walking? It’s hot!” he says while fanning himself.

Yeri stops walking and looks behind her where her brother lazily walks, “Ugh, look at this city boy.” she walks back and pulls his hand, “I barely fit on that bike and you want us to use it? The university is just near the capitol so quit complaining cause I’m late!”

Baekhyun stomps a foot, “The capitol is far!”

“There are new roads made for shortcut.” she rolls her eyes while still pulling him like he’s the one who’ll go to school, “If it bothers you that much, then why didn’t you just bring your car with you, city boy?”

“I’m not a city boy!”

“You act like one!”

Before they knew it, they’ve reached the capitol without stopping their small arguments. For a while, Baekhyun’s heart felt a little lighter. But when they reached the capitol, a terrible memory comes back, and he just goes silent.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Huh? Nothing…”

Yeri sighs. She knows but she chooses not to dig further. It will take a while for her brother to heal, and she’s aware of that. Yet as much as possible, she wants to treat him as normal as possible. So subtly, she just holds his hand while they walk in the center of the town.

Baekhyun roams his gaze around. The place has changed a lot even just in a short time he was gone. There are new small infrastructures and shops around and the marketplace is bigger and more civilized. They’re nearing Yeri’s school but his eyes are fixed at the tall building that towers over the small ones.

“Hey, what’s that?”

Yeri looks at where he’s staring.

“The building?” Baekhyun nods, “Oh, it’s a new hotel. It’s still under construction and it will be complete this year, I think.”

Baekhyun’s lips parted while slowly nodding. Yeri shrugs before continuing.

“I heard they’re aiming it to be a five-star hotel. But I haven’t been interested about it. Wait—” she stops while her eyes widen, “Oh my God, hyung!?”

Baekhyun frowns at her, “What?”

“Don’t tell me you own it?!”

He shoves his palm over her mouth that got her glaring, “Idiot.”

She recovers like nothing happened while she fixes her hair, “You’re too interested so I assumed.”

“Yeah, and I’ll ask about it if I’m the owner, right?” he sarcastically says, “But do you know who owns it?”

“Probably big capitalists.” she shrugs, “Hate them. Anyways, I’m late, thanks very much, Hyung. You can go home now.” she says and receives a push from Baekhyun before she completely walks to the gate.

Baekhyun’s lips protruded a little. He looks at the same building. _5-star hotel, huh?_

Curiosity strikes him hard and before he knows it, he’s walking towards the said tower. Baekhyun slightly thought that it won’t be accessible to public since Yeri mentioned it’s still under construction but looking at it now, he realizes that the top floors are the only unfinished part including some overall flourishing. Nonetheless, the hotel is close to finishing. The main entrance already has security in it, and few people are already going in and out of it.

Baekhyun dumbly stands in front of it, brows crossed and nose scrunched because of the sunlight above while he strives to look at the tall building even when it’s blinding.

He wonders if he can check inside.

“I’ll come back here you dumb fuck and you’re done by then!” Baekhyun spaces out in front of the building that he didn’t even notice someone strutting right into his way, “Once I become the top chef of this hotel I’ll make sure you’re fi—AW!”

The moment slows down when he falls on the floor, ass first while a weight topples above him. They hear the laughter of the security guards of the hotel because of what happened.

Baekhyun’s eyes are tightly shut because of the impact. His limbs hurt and as he opens his eyes, the first thing he sees is the bright sun above him…but a face covers it in a blink of an eye. A frowning face to be exact.

Baekhyun sheepishly smiles, but then he hears it.

“Are you fucking blind?”

The small man immediately gets up from their awkward position. Baekhyun grunts when he stands up, wiping the dirt off his butt. He looks at the same petite man who’s glaring at him.

“Sorry…”

“Yeah, of course, you just had to be dumb when I was trying to save my dignity from those homophobic bastards.” he hisses in annoyance. Baekhyun remains silent and shocked by the man’s hostility. The attitude doesn’t suit him when he looks…that cute.

He rolls his eyes and picks up his envelopes that fell on the floor. Baekhyun blinks rapidly while watching him. He can still hear him grunting and cussing under his breath.

“Did you apply as a hotel staff?” he asks despite how rude he was treated a while ago. True enough, the guy glares at him as if talking to him is another mistake. Baekhyun tries to compromise by introducing himself, “I-I’m Baekhyun…by the way.”

“Hello Baekhyun!”

He almost jumped on his post when someone greets beside him. Baekhyun sees another man, taller than the both of them, smiling timidly at him. His eyes look droopy but his smile shows his deep dimples. Baekhyun sheepishly smiles at him.

“O-Oh…sorry, I didn’t see you there. Hello! You are?” he smiles and tries to be friendly when the smaller man cuts them both when he pulls the taller man away.

“Come on, Yixing. We have no time for this.” the man hisses but Yixing guy struggles to try and answer Baekhyun.

“Wait!” he pulls his friend back while still smiling at Baekhyun, “I’m Yixing! Nice to meet you! And yes, we applied as kitchen cook for this hotel. I’m actually quite confident, you know? I think they’ll hire both me and Kyungsoo here!” his eyes crinkle as he smiles wider.

Baekhyun looks at the man beside him who’s frowning at him now.

_How can these two guys be friends when they’re…?_

“Will you be applying too?” the guy called Yixing sounds so excited, “You should! So we can be workmates and we can be best friends too! Right, Soo?”

Baekhyun smiles back. Somehow, it made him hopeful.

“Really? Thank you…” he says, “How did you guys—”

“Yixing, I’m leaving you.” Kyungsoo guy says before walking away in the midst of Baekhyun’s words. Yixing apologetically looks at him before running after his friend.

What just happened?

Baekhyun looks at them until they’re gone from his sight. He sighs and takes one last look on the hotel. He begins walking back home.

He doesn’t know how long he took a nap, or if it’s still even considered a ‘nap’. But when he woke up, the sun has already set. Baekhyun will be lying if he says he didn’t space out again. Same thoughts enter his mind even right after he opens his eyes.

This is why he hates having nothing to do.

He sits on the edge of the bed, figuring what he should do now that he’s home, for good. He wasn’t actually able to come up with a plan since everything has been so sudden. Maybe he’d actually pursue his old profession…or maybe something new. Something he really wanted to do.

Anything. As long as he’s preoccupied. He’s afraid he’ll soon be going insane.

When he steps out of the room, he hears muffled voices from the kitchen. Baekhyun makes his steps as silent as he can. When he opens the sliding door of the room, he can hear them very well.

“—think he was having nightmares.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know…he wouldn’t tell.”

Yeri and his mother are whispering. But maybe they also forgot that their house is too small to keep anything from anyone. Baekhyun leans behind his opened door to hear them further.

“I’m worried about him, Eomma.”

Baekhyun blinks from where he is. He gently bites his lip, feeling something twisting in his chest.

He hears his mother sigh.

“I’m worried too.”

“I know he’s been through a lot just by simply looking at him…” Yeri’s voice becomes even fainter but he still hears it, “he’s not the same as before.”

His chest heaves. Is he? Has he changed that much?

Baekhyun gulps. The words are enough to strike him hard. This is the consequence of his actions. Now he’s even more certain that he made the right choice. Loving Chanyeol has brought him to this.

“Remember what I told you, Yeri…” his mother says, “let’s give him the break he deserves. Do your best for your brother. He’s not yet well to take such a big responsibility for us again.”

He feels the warmth in his eyes. He can’t believe he’s affecting them like this. He has always done everything for his family, and now he feels so weak and useless. This isn’t the life he came back to. This isn’t the life he wants.

Baekhyun sniffs and shifts to his left to hide when Yeri walks past his room. He wipes the side of his eyes before going out as if nothing happened. He smiles to his mother, and he makes it as convincing as he can.

He prepares himself a tea and from his side, he can feel his mother watching him. Baekhyun focuses on what he’s doing. He doesn’t want to initiate any conversation right now.

But it seems like no one’s stopping his mother.

“Were you able to roam around the capitol?” she asks with a small smile.

Baekhyun nods, “Yeah. But it was too hot so I decided to head back earlier.”

She chuckles, “Quite like a city now, isn’t it?” Baekhyun nods again. This time her gaze becomes uneasy, “How’s Chanyeol by the way?”

He knew it. He continuously stirs on his cup, trying to look and sound casual.

“Good.” he simply answers, “He’s doing well.”

His mother slowly nods, she stares at him as if weighing his words.

“Will he be visiting you here?”

Baekhyun bites his lip. He forces a smile at her.

“I don’t think so.”

She doesn’t respond. Baekhyun thought it’s over but she speaks again after a short while.

“Baekhyun, you didn’t leave Chanyeol, did you?”

He sighs. Baekhyun had to shut his eyes tight before answering.

“I went home.”

“Don’t tell me he didn’t know you’re leaving?” she gasps, “Oh god…”

“Eomma. Whatever it is between Chanyeol and me, it’s over.” he heaves, hands clutching on his lap. “I’m not seeing him again.”

“He’s your husband!” his mother’s voice raises, “I-I thought…he knew…You could’ve told him, Baekhyun. You could’ve talked to him properly about your decision!”

Baekhyun clenches his jaw. He stares into his cup while his hands wrap around it firmly.

“He doesn’t deserve any explanation.”

His mother weakly leans on the wall behind her. She looks at her son with so much disbelief. Baekhyun avoids her gaze. He knows she’s disappointed.

“What happened to the both of you?”

Baekhyun smiles, despite his teeth gritting so hard. He stands up from his seat and starts walking.

That’s how simple it is for Baekhyun— they’ve never been right for each other.

“Where are you going?”

“To the capitol…” Baekhyun answers without looking at her, “I’m taking Yeri’s bike.”

He goes out of the house even when it’s already dark. The bike is indeed too small for him, but he doesn’t mind. He appreciates the cold breeze of the night. The city has brought him nothing but stress. The words he heard from home do not leave his mind and it’s not helping him in any way.

“We’re not accepting someone without experience.”

Baekhyun gulps. He helplessly glances at the other security personnel who are looking at him with the same judgment.

“What do I need to do to be qualified?”

The guard he’s talking to looks at his coworkers with a hint of amusement on his face. He shrugs before facing Baekhyun once more.

“Gain experience.”

He lets out a deep yet silent sigh. The grumpy guy he bumped into earlier this day was right. He can’t endure talking to these people who are obviously judging him because of his sexuality. He suddenly understood why the petite guy a while ago was fuming mad.

“Can I just talk to your recruitment team?”

They chuckle, “Office hour is over in fifteen minutes boy.”

“I’m asking nicely. Please don—”

“And what seems to be the problem about this boy that you all forgot to act professionally?”

They stand straight when they hear a certain voice speaking behind them. To say their faces lose the color on them is an understatement. A middle-aged man raises a brow at them, placing both his hands on his waist.

“I want to see you in my office tomorrow. We do not condone such behavior in this establishment, do you understand?” he says with a small smile but it’s enough to have them keep their heads down in humiliation.

Baekhyun blinks and looks down when his eyes fall on him.

“What are you applying for, young man?”

He gulps, “I-I was inquiring about your requirements for a pastry chef…Sir.”

The man looks at him from head to toe, but his eyes linger on his face much longer. There’s a small curve on his lips and Baekhyun doesn’t know what it’s for.

“Pastry chef?” he repeats with a trace of humor on his face, “Well…you have to get at least a vocational degree in pastry making. Professional experience is better, but we’re not really strict about it if you’re really good.”

Baekhyun feels even more embarrassed.

“Oh…”

“Do you have those?”

He shakes his head, “I majored in Business Management in college.”

The said man nods, “Change of career then?” he smiles.

Baekhyun smiles and the man raises his brows as if he just confirmed something in his head. His smile grows bigger, then he gets something in his wallet.

“Apply once you get your degree, then contact this agency to help you get in.” he hands a card in which Baekhyun reluctantly accepts, “I’ll wait for you to apply again.”

“Uh…it might take me too long…especially if I get experience first.” Baekhyun sheepishly says when the man looks serious about anticipating his application anytime soon.

“No need for that.” the man says, “Once you get your degree, send us your application.” he smiles, “The hotel owner prefers young pioneer staffs. I know you’ll do well.”

Baekhyun looks at the card on his hand before repeatedly bowing at him.

“Thank you…thank you, Sir!”

He chuckles before walking away with his hands in his pockets.

“No worries, Mr. Byun.”

Baekhyun happily looks at the card on his hand to even hear him. He looks around and sees that the man has already walked far from him with his phone on his ear. He didn’t even get his name.

He exhales deeply before smiling. Somehow, his life is finally having direction again. A clear one, at least.

Baekhyun roams around the capitol to buy some of his needs and needless to say, to avoid another possible conversation in their house. He walks around and eats his dinner near the marketplace. What he loves about the province is that no one recognizes and gives a shit about him like everyone does in the city. If he needs to go home late to get away from his mother’s questions, then he will.

He understands that she’s shocked. After all, they may have thought that everything was going well between him and Chanyeol. They weren’t really oriented about the fairytale that became a disastrous one. One of these days, Baekhyun knows that the questions will be gone. If he continuously ignores it, his mother will eventually get tired.

Chanyeol never even tried fixing anything, so why would he?

Baekhyun visualizes it perfectly: Chanyeol having the time of his life now that he finally has everything he truly wanted. The justice he wanted for his parents and everything owned by the man he despised. Baekhyun swallows the bitterness rushing down his throat. He wishes he’s happy.

These thoughts occupied his mind while he rides the bike back home. He takes the longer route to have longer time for himself. And most of all, to avoid the Park’s mansion. He wants to take a break and reliving all the memories he had in that place is certainly not the way to do that.

So his foot falls on the ground to stop his bike when he sees a car in front of his house. Baekhyun stares at it for a while, slightly frozen on his spot. He maneuvers the bike back to the side of the house while his heart uncontrollably rummages against his chest. It takes Baekhyun a little longer to collect himself as he stands right beside his bike, his hand trembling on it.

He’s not completely stupid. Even with the thousand theories in his head, he clearly knows what’s about to happen. He should’ve known that Chanyeol wouldn’t buy the alibis he told the maids that he’ll go out of the country for a vacation. He will be lying if he says he never imagined Chanyeol trying to look for him when he’s gone.

Baekhyun keeps the same expression on his face. He badly wants to look strong, even when he’s crashing inside. Just this time, he wants to show his conviction. Because what will he hold onto if it’s gone too?

“Baekhyun-ah…”

He pretends he doesn’t hear his mother when he puts his shoes on the shoe rack. He intentionally keeps his gaze down even when the place is too small for him to avoid it. But he continues anyway. _That’s where you’re good at, aren’t you?_

“Baekhyun…” his mother repeats. Her gentle voice doesn’t help him this time, “Someone’s waiting for you.”

Baekhyun’s jaw hardens. He gulps before lifting his gaze. His mother pleadingly looks at him and his heart almost jumps out of his chest. Chanyeol stands behind her, staring at him while gulping repeatedly as if he’s holding back something so hard.

Baekhyun can’t look at him for too long. He breathes heavily from where he is, bothered by the agonizing silence that surrounds them but doesn’t dare to make a movement either.

His mother steps towards where he is and holds his hand. She tries to catch his gaze and gives him an encouraging nod. Baekhyun knows it will be futile to refuse.

“He does, Baekhyun…” she whispers at him, “Chanyeol deserves your explanation.”

Baekhyun looks at her as his lips tremble. She flashes a sad smile. Baekhyun blinks rapidly to keep his eyes dry before looking back at Chanyeol.

His heart feels so heavy. Just looking at Chanyeol hurts him so much.

He looks so wrecked. The only time Baekhyun had seen him like this was when his parents died so many years ago. His eyes are swollen. He purses his lips hard while his eyes beg. Even with his hair slightly covering them, Baekhyun sees how they’re directed at him.

And why? Baekhyun wants to ask. Why do you look so broken, Chanyeol? _Shouldn’t I be the only one who lost here?_

Baekhyun nods, “W-We’ll just talk outside.”

He doesn’t wait for anyone’s response as he goes outside. He doesn’t know if Chanyeol followed, but as he walks down the street, he hears his footsteps behind him. Baekhyun doesn’t look back. He walks to where his feet take him. He feels like he’ll lose his breath any minute.

He smiles because of the irony when he reaches the end of the street. The place where his young foolish self used to wait for his bestfriend slash boyfriend to fetch him with his scooter. Perfect. Perfect place, Baekhyun.

“Why are you here?”

He asks straight to the point when Chanyeol stands in front of him. Baekhyun barely recognizes his voice as coldness fills it. He looks down the floor instead of Chanyeol.

He feels his warm hands holding his cold ones firmly. Chanyeol grasps his hands tight, not letting him pull them away.

“Baek…please listen.” he says hoarsely, “When you saw me that day, we were trying to hunt down the men threatening the witnesses. Someone tipped me about their whereabouts.”

Baekhyun grins sarcastically. He grits his teeth so hard that they hurt.

Chanyeol heaves heavily as he holds him firmer, “We were misled. I was trying to track them down since then…at the same time I was trying to protect the witne—”

“Stop it.”

Chanyeol steps closer while still holding his hands. Baekhyun tilts his head to his side to avoid his eyes.

“B-Baek…I didn’t kill your father.” his voice breaks, “I know…I was up for revenge. I was driven by my anger most of the time but I didn’t…I didn’t kill him. I can never do that, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. His father’s last words echo in his head.

Look at him, Baekhyun. Look at the man right in front of you.

“Please…believe me.”

Baekhyun swallows the lump in his throat before coldly looking at him.

“Is that what you came for?”

Chanyeol stares down at their hands. Baekhyun clenches his jaw while he looks at him. When Chanyeol lifts his gaze, his eyes are glistening.

“Let me prove it to you, Baek…” he prevents a sob, “Let me prove it…j-just come home.”

Baekhyun breathes heavily. He looks away but he can’t stop the tears forming on his eyes.

“I’m home now.”

Chanyeol shakes his head. He bites his lip and Baekhyun feels his tears falling on their hands. It made him look at him.

He’s crying. Chanyeol is crying.

“O-Our home, Baekhyun…” his deep voice keeps breaking along with Baekhyun’s heart, “Even if you don’t talk to me…or look at me. It’s fine…I-I will accept. Just please…p-please Baekhyun.” Chanyeol begs between his sobs, “I d-don’t want to lose you…” he mumbles weakly.

Baekhyun keeps the conviction on his face, no matter how useless it is because of the tears streaming down on his cheeks. He tries blinking them away but they don’t seem to stop.

“It’s over, Chanyeol…” he gulps, “Go home. The company needs you.”

Chanyeol firmly defies, looking at him pleadingly. “I need you, Baek. P-Please work this out w-with me.”

Baekhyun chuckles, “You say that now, huh? Haven’t I sacrificed myself and my whole heart for you, Chanyeol? You treat me like you never needed me when I basically fucking threw myself at you?” he says sharply, “And now you tell me you need me?”

The taller looks at him, only shaking his head in response. He breathes heavily while he hugs his hands close to his chest.

“I’m so tired… please.” Baekhyun’s voice breaks this time, “P-Please…let’s just stop.”

Baekhyun sobs even more when Chanyeol shamelessly kneels down in front of him, still holding his hands firmly with his own. He tries to pull him up but Chanyeol doesn’t budge. He pleads against his hands and Baekhyun is afraid…afraid that he’ll give in, and do it all over again.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry Baekhyun…” he grumbles between his tears. Baekhyun bites his lip while he looks at him, “I-I’ll do anything…anything Baek…”

Baekhyun heaves in frustration. He pulls his hand in another failed attempt when Chanyeol holds it still against his face.

“I l-love you…I love you so much, B-Baek. D-Don’t make me l-lose you again…”

His heart twists painfully. How dare he? How dare he say that one damn thing that Baekhyun wanted when he has finally given up? Why is he so selfish?

Baekhyun sheds more tears, “How about me? How a-about me, Chanyeol?” he gulps, “I a-already lost myself. I-I already lost everything…f-for you.”

The man kneeling in front of him only shakes his head continuously. Baekhyun knew it would be difficult…but not this difficult. It’s hard to fight the urge to just pull him up and give him another chance. He already lost his will to fight for him.

“Don’t you understand, Chanyeol?” he mutters weakly, “I was trying to fix you. I tried. But I was the one destroyed in the process.”

Chanyeol hands tremble. And along with it, his grasp on his hands loosen up. Baekhyun takes this chance to pull his hands away and wipe his face dry. Chanyeol’s head weakly dangle in front, his shoulders heaving.

“B-Baekhyun…” he hears his faint voice despite not seeing his face, “I-I’m begging.”

“I am begging too, Chanyeol.” Baekhyun insists, “L-Let’s stop while we can still save ourselves. This isn’t the love I want…nor the life I wish for.”

Chanyeol doesn’t respond anymore. His head remains weakly drooping down, and Baekhyun doesn’t get to see his face.

Baekhyun had to bite his lip first to prevent a sob before he could say it, “W-Were not meant to be together. I-It…kills us both.” he sniffs, “You won’t have to endure looking at the son of the man who destroyed your life. You’ll thank me one day.”

No one speaks after that. Baekhyun wipes more tears streaming down his face while Chanyeol remains motionless on his knees.

When Chanyeol speaks, the words hit him harder.

“Say it one more time…” he mumbles under his breath but Baekhyun hears it well, “Tell me you don’t want this anymore.”

Baekhyun grits his teeth. He doesn’t want to. Saying and admitting it once are hard. He doesn’t want to say it again.

But he knows this is the only way to finish it once and for all. He doesn’t want to give Chanyeol mixed signals. What’s done is done. _And fuck how it hurts so bad._

“I don’t want this anymore.”

Chanyeol nods, “And that you don’t want to love me anymore.”

Baekhyun bites his lip. Enough. He’s not doing this.

Chanyeol tilts his head up when he doesn’t answer. He doesn’t look at Baekhyun but he’s blinking in anticipation.

“Say it.”

“E-Enough, Chanyeol. I’ve had enough…Please leave now.” he says firmly but Chanyeol stays on the ground, “Chanyeol.”

He hears him sniff again before Chanyeol finally stands up. His bloodshot eyes look straight into him. Chanyeol nods with a smile before pulling his nape closer to hug him tight. Baekhyun holds onto his clothes while he buries his face on his shoulder. Chanyeol embraces him for a while before he feels his lips on his temple. Baekhyun shuts his eyes and seizes it. It happened so fast, and before he knows it, Chanyeol is wordlessly walking away from him. He doesn’t spare Baekhyun another glance as he takes quick steps towards his car.

Baekhyun stands on the same ground, watching his back getting farther from where he is. He holds his breath. _You can do it. Just wait ‘til he’s gone. _And he did. He waits until Chanyeol is out of his sight. He waits until he hears his car engine from the distance and until the car drives past him. He waits until there’s no trace of him within his reach. And that’s when he finally lets go of his strength. He lets himself sit on his feet, face buried on his knees while the truth slowly sinks in his head—it’s done. He did it.

He finally lets go of the phase of his life where he sacrificed himself mindlessly. Where he was selfless and pathetic. With this, he finally removed Chanyeol from his life as well—for good.

And he firmly believed it would be a decision that will bring him satisfaction and happiness. _So what now? _Why is here, slouched in the end of the road where he lets out heavy sobs?

Baekhyun only removed Chanyeol’s presence from his life. But he can never, never let his heart do the same. He’ll be there for good. Baekhyun won’t ever heal, as long as he’s in the place where everything began.

So cry. Cry even more, Baekhyun. That will be the only thing you can do from now on.

“Hey.” a doe-eyed man pokes his shoulder while he holds a bag of rice on his other hand, “Hey…what happened to you?”

Baekhyun looks up to him with his eyes pooling with tears and his nose red. The familiar man curiously stares at him, but there’s a hint of concern in his eyes.

“Hey—hey! Don’t hug…me.” the said man had no choice when Baekhyun is basically clinging around his neck, sobbing against his shoulder. He sighs and awkwardly taps Baekhyun’s back while he looks at the floor, “Well…there goes my bag of rice…”


	19. 18-Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _chanyeol;___

"Stand up."

He didn't. He played deaf. He's not hearing it again.

"Get your shit together, Chanyeol." the cold pair of eyes looked at him intently, "PARK CHANYEOL!"

"H-He's not...no..." he hysterically sobbed, shaking his head in defiance, "I-It's not true..."

The man who uncannily looked so much like him laughed like a maniac. He gritted his teeth right then and squatted in front of his distraught nephew.

"Stupid...stupid boy." he shook his head as he pinned Chanyeol's face between his hand. The bloodshot and tear-stained eyes looked at the almost-crumpled paper on his hand, "The truth is here, and you refuse to accept it?" he gently tapped his cheek, "Wake up."

"LIAR!"

"Look at the face of the man who killed your parents and tell me I'm lying." even the mention of his own brother didn't wipe the smug smile off his face, "A mirrored image of your young boyfriend, isn't he?"

Chanyeol refused to look but his face was held firmly to look at the photo. It was the man who took everything away from him. It was the man whom he despised with his whole being. And looking at the way he smiled, and after hearing the news, the smile became familiar to him. Too familiar that it hurt.

"Ahn Baekhyun is the lost son of Byun Yeongseo." he pursed his lips to prevent a grin when Chanyeol's eyes were filled with more tears, "Figures. Byun Baekhyun really suits him better."

Chanyeol clenched his jaw. His breathing was frantic as his gaze pierced deeper into his Uncle's eyes.

"How does it feel loving the son of the man that destroyed your life?"

When he thought everything in his life could not get worse, Chanyeol discovered everything he wished he didn't. His life had always revolved around the same person. _His _person. He gave him his whole heart, only to be crushed by the truth about his identity.

"Stop waiting for me."

For Chanyeol, it was a matter of love and justice. After dropping the short call he had with Baekhyun in the middle of the night, he grasped the only picture he had of his parents, smiling and looking so alive. That moment, he knew he had to choose...and he chose them.

Even when they would've told him otherwise if they were there.

Chanyeol set his love aside, he let a completely foreign feeling take over. Indignation. _Rage._ He let it fill his system and took care of it. He had one goal in mind; revenge.

And for that to happen, he had to remove Baekhyun from the picture. He had to remove him from his heart, because he had no place there. He had no place together with his wrath.

"He's still outside." he didn't spare Minseok a glance even when he was barely reading the file on his table, "Baekhyun. He's still outside."

"Let him." he said nonchalantly, "He'll get tired."

He would, Chanyeol was certain of that. Throughout the years they were apart, Chanyeol felt Baekhyun slowly drifting away from him. He was always the one trying to reach him. He never got anything from Baekhyun. Not that he was expecting, but Chanyeol felt like he was the only one doing the effort.

So he would definitely get sick of waiting this time as well.

Chanyeol had it all figured out. He thought he successfully got rid of Baekhyun from his life, so he didn't know how or why he found himself agreeing to his offer. He didn't know why he woke up one day and Baekhyun was officially involved in his plans. He wasn't sure which of them—of revenge or love—that made him want to keep him on his side, even when he watched him suffering because of everything he wanted.

He was selfish. And more than Chanyeol ever hated Baekhyun, he hated himself the most. His principles were clouded by his desire to avenge for everything taken away from him. He looked at everyone like enemies he needed to keep an eye on. And no one was an exception.

"I don't know what he did to you but treating him like that wasn't right."

One of the young maids bravely snapped in front of him while he was having breakfast. The others were pulling her away with so much horror on their faces. Chanyeol only stared at her while he gripped the newspaper tighter. Her eyes were slightly glistening like how Baekhyun's eyes were when he was begging him the night before.

"J-Jungah what are you doing?" one of them hissed.

She shook their hands away and kept her eyes on Chanyeol, "You're hurting him, Sir. A-And he has been enduring so much since he came here..." she gulped, obviously afraid but there was nothing stopping her. "All he ever does is do what you want. I believe Baekhyun doesn't deserve how you treat him, Sir." she said with conviction before bowing and walking away. The other maids kept their heads lower as if afraid about his reaction.

But Chanyeol only remained sitting on his chair. He went back to reading and tried to swallow the food along with the lump forming in his throat as the words pierced him right into his chest.

Were they expecting him to shout at her? To fire her? Because he wouldn't. What she said was true. The proof was all in his mind, when he recalled how rough and hard he handled Baekhyun that night when he saw him attempting to depend on someone else. When he saw how decided he was to trust Sehun, it insulted Chanyeol so much. He gave him the smiles, touch and trust that were known to him. The green-eyed monster was there because he believed it should all be just for him, and Baekhyun was starting to give them to someone else.

It was beginning to get more and more difficult. Because Chanyeol did not have the right to demand. After all, he said he never wanted to involve Baekhyun again. He treated him like shit. And how did it give him the right to be jealous and be possessive?

_I thought you don't love him anymore?_

_I thought you don't care?_

_I thought you said he's just there for the plan?_

How Baekhyun never noticed that Chanyeol always came to see him in the middle of the night will always be a question. He was just there, waiting for the sound of his cries to falter before he could confirm that Baekhyun had fallen into deep slumber before he'd go in. He would always keep a safe distance, just enough to watch him looking so peaceful.

Nothing changed from how it was when they were in Jeollanam-do. When they were happy and living a simple life. Chanyeol would always get the satisfaction of watching Baekhyun's peaceful face in his sleep. Although it used to make him smile, this time, it seemed like he only did it to torture himself further. Because unlike before, he couldn't hold him anymore.

And when the pain in his heart was already hard to fight, that's the only time he'd walk away silently.

_It was a wrong, wrong idea, Chanyeol. _He should've never agreed involving him, no matter how hard it was to do it alone. While he made Baekhyun suffer, at the end of the day, he'd be the one suffering the most.

"What did you just say?"

The younger boy didn't dare to meet his gaze. His hands remained clasped in front of him.

"You've been so kind to me and my mother, Chanyeol-hyung." he said in a faint voice, "And I'm sorry if I kept these from you...I was just told. But I can't lie to you forever. I'm sorry...I know it's too late...but...I'm sorry..."

Chanyeol's grip on the sealed letters was so hard. His jaw clenched while he stared at the boy whom he trusted for so long and like anyone else, betrayed him.

"Who told you to hide them, Hanseung?" he breathed heavily, "WHO?!"

The boy finally looked straight at him. He gulped before answering.

"C-Chairman Park..." he said, almost like a whisper. "I was also told not to pass any messages from him...or tell you about his visits. He s-said he wanted you to focus..."

He asked as if he didn't know. His uncle has always been capable, Chanyeol was aware of that. He shouldn't even be surprised. But it was a whole different issue. Those were Baekhyun's letters for him. The letters that contained all his love and heartbreak portrayed through words.

Chanyeol has never been so angry.

To make it worse, it was even his parents' birthday. He began reading his unread letters, not short of tears. When he was doubting Baekhyun's love for him, he didn't know he was trying harder. They were unfairly separated from each other and nothing hurt him more.

It was only a couple of letters but he had to stop midway. He had to stop reading because he was crying too much in his car. His palm harshly wiped his eyes, breathing heavily while he looked at the well-decorated letters beside him. For the first time, Chanyeol didn't spend the day with only the thought of his parents. Rather, he found himself drinking nonstop and asking them why. Why should all of this happen to him? He wished they were there. They could've helped him.

That night, he realized that no one was there to hear him out. For so long, Chanyeol managed to keep everything to himself no matter how hard it was. He had to appear strong all the time. But that night made him break all his barriers. He just had to be weak for once.

It was easy to think and easy to say. He was watching Baekhyun sleeping on the couch while he sat on the floor. He was drunk. He could see the worry etched on Baekhyun's face even in his slumber. It was easy to move closer and wake him up, hug him tight and say sorry. But then again, Chanyeol was too spineless to do it.

"Yeol, let's go..."

So until the moment he woke up and held his hand, when he watched him in silence when he broke down again, Chanyeol couldn't utter a single word. Baekhyun may have thought that he was missing his parents again. He is...but it was so much more than that. And he wished he could tell him how sorry he was when he was holding him in the bathtub. For not reading his letters, for not trying harder for them, he was sorry.

"I'm sorry."

Mrs. Ahn broke into tears in front of him after demanding to know the truth. Her cries echoed within the walls of Chanyeol's office. Chanyeol immediately stood up from his seat to comfort her. But she stepped back and shook her head. She let out a sob while she tried to form her words.

"H-How did my son e-end up like this?"

And how should he answer that? How? What words could he say that wouldn't sound as harsh as the truth? Baekhyun became like that for him. He lied to his family and left them for him. It was all because of him.

"If t-that's the case..." Mrs. Ahn sniffed, "then I can't do anything anymore..."

Chanyeol gulped, "Talk to him...and if he wants to go home with you then I won't stop him. Just... please talk to him."

He knew how much it would hurt Baekhyun. And he's willing to let him go home if he would want to, as if compromising.

But Mrs. Ahn simply shook her head.

"No..." she said with finality, "I've heard enough. I don't want to be a distraction. Baekhyun will surely stay here. That's just how decided he is..." she smiled sadly and Chanyeol wasn't able to answer anymore.

"You'll take good care of my son, won't you, Chanyeol?"

He nodded, and how confident of him to do it without hesitation. Chanyeol tried to explain when Baekhyun was being hysterical in front of him, aggravated by what he just did. He thought Chanyeol lied to her as well. Chanyeol didn't get the chance to tell it all.

How he told Baekhyun's mother about everything, about his parents and his suspected murderer. About Baekhyun's sudden involvement in the plan and including the upcoming marriage that's not out of love.

Chanyeol never got the chance to explain to Baekhyun that he did, in fact, plead Mrs. Ahn to talk to him about this. But she really was Baekhyun's mother, because she refused with a smile, and told him it's useless for she knew Baekhyun would go to any extent for him.

It felt so _fucking _terrible.

All he could do was to keep his mouth shut, because even the simplest apology wouldn't come out from his lips so easily. It became futile for him to express how it felt. All he did was to hold him tight and love him silently. Through his most inexplicable ways, he tried to make Baekhyun feel a little better.

"C-Chanyeol..." he moved inside him so gently before he pushed into the brim. He held his weight above him, watching Baekhyun's face intently as it crumpled in pleasure, eyes tightly shut and his mouth slightly ajar. Chanyeol was nowhere holding back. Despite everything, it was only Baekhyun who could make him feel like he's spinning and floating in the air.

All his apologies translated into actions. He was trying to compromise by making him feel good.

And by the way he wiped his hair and hugged his bare body tight while he once again watched him to sleep, Chanyeol tried to make him feel loved. He hoped that Baekhyun was too sleepy to even notice it because that was the only time he had the courage to do so. He woke up still next to him, and he had to stare at him for a while when he sat up. Chanyeol seized it, watching him with a small smile curved on his lips without Baekhyun knowing. Although the pang came back in his chest when he stepped out of the shower and Baekhyun had already left. He realized what it all was.

Whatever happened, no matter how long he tried to keep it, he couldn't let him off his sight. He always tried to know what Baekhyun was up to even if he's not there. In the beginning, the phase of denial was very consistent about doing it just because of his plans, but in the end, he couldn't lie to himself anymore.

"He's a gem..." Jennie jokingly punched his arm while they stopped in the floor lobby, "If you let him go again, you're an idiot."

Baekhyun was left in the office when he told him he would just send Jennie off. The two of them had practically been siblings ever since he could remember. And Chanyeol couldn't help smiling.

"Thank you, Jennie...for making this happen." he grasped the velvet box tighter, "It will be his dream wedding."

Jennie smiled while looking at him this happy.

"I know you're happy Chanyeol..." she said while nodding, "Baekhyun really does the magic on you..."

Chanyeol smiled wider before pulling her to a hug. He was sure. He would try again, and he'd do it slow.

Little by little, Chanyeol was trying to fix things. He knew it would not be that easy to bring back everything they had before but he was willing to do it. Ironically, things also seemed to get messier as well. Baekhyun was becoming more distant and it was killing him. He didn't know what to do and he ended up keeping a distance to give him the space he possibly needed.

But it was a wrong move after all. It wasn't what Baekhyun wanted.

Like any of the people under his watch, he needed to keep an eye on Baekhyun even more. Especially if he was surrounded by people whom Chanyeol didn't trust.

"Someone might just steal him and do it better."

Oh Sehun. Chanyeol never trusted him no matter how good he appeared to Baekhyun. His gaze was piercing through him while his arms held Baekhyun tighter, as if he would really be stolen.

So how did it feel like seeing Baekhyun so drunk in the arms of Sehun in the middle of the night? Chanyeol felt like hurting someone. He was gritting his teeth so hard. He badly wanted to erase the smug grin on the other's face. He was pushing him to his limits because Baekhyun trusted him. But Chanyeol would never do the same.

He waited for the whole day and that's what he got. Chanyeol waited and pondered the entire time for the right words to say. He was holding onto his velvet box in his office, frustrated about the proposal he'd make. Even if it was a pretend wedding for Baekhyun, he wanted to propose formally. And maybe in the process, he'd get to apologize as well, and tell him how he truly felt.

Instead, what he got was Baekhyun being severely drunk; sputtering nothing but pleads. It was painful hearing his voice breaking. But above all, it hurt because Chanyeol finally heard what Baekhyun truly felt.

"Chanyeol...j-just let me go..."

Chanyeol only watched, a bit speechless while Baekhyun sobbed on his bed, repeating the same words. He tried to gulp the lump in his throat. He watched him, telling him he was tired. And he said that before, didn't he? Baekhyun would eventually get tired, he just had to wait. But it wasn't satisfying as he wanted it to be.

He couldn't let him go. Even if he begged for it. He wanted to try and at the same time, he didn't know where to begin either. He loved him so much and it crashed his heart hearing his pleads. Hearing him bargaining to be free. Chanyeol should've agreed. After all, he had been waiting for that moment since the beginning wasn't he? For Baekhyun to get tired and quit himself. But now that it's here, it's a lot scarier than he thought.

He couldn't do it.

_"Maybe I'd have to ruin his lovely little face, Mr. Park?"_

Chanyeol gripped on his phone tighter. His fingers felt cold and they were trembling.

"FUCK YOU!" he placed the phone on his lips as he cussed, "Who are you? Huh? Don't you fucking try getting near Baekhyun!"

_"Then tell your boy to mind his own fucking business or I'll kill him too!"_

Chanyeol wasn't able to speak any longer when the man dropped the call. His heart was beating frantically against his chest. He didn't want to think of the worst but he couldn't help it.

He would risk anything, if that meant keeping Baekhyun safe.

That moment, Chanyeol just had the worst fear in his entire life.

He barely knew what he did when he shot the man before it could even pull the trigger directed at Baekhyun's head. Chanyeol couldn't grasp anything around him. He was holding Baekhyun's unconscious body, filled with his own blood. He let his tears mix with it while he held him tight. He was embracing him until the ambulance came. He was afraid that if he just blinked once, then Baekhyun might be gone forever.

He was so afraid. And by then, he knew he would do anything so he wouldn't lose him.

"Just...take good care of Baekhyun, okay?"

It was like a mantra for Baekhyun's mother, and to be fair, Chanyeol couldn't understand anymore. He didn't know why she trusted him so much. He was obviously the reason of all Baekhyun's troubles, yet here she was, smiling at him warmly while putting him her whole trust for Baekhyun's sake.

Chanyeol knew he didn't deserve it.

Yet he continued. For Baekhyun, he did. No matter how cold and distant he had become, Chanyeol tried the hardest he could to be there for him. He felt so traumatized from almost losing him. And even when Baekhyun was gradually drifting away from him, Chanyeol didn't give up.

So that was how Baekhyun felt before. He understood it then. He finally knew how he felt when he was the one out of reach. It felt like dying, honestly. But if Baekhyun strived to keep him, then why wouldn't he?

"I underestimated you." his Uncle had a trace of humor in his voice, "Now I realize that marrying Baekhyun is actually a smart choice. Good job, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol almost glared at him. But he wasn't in the position to disrespect him this time. So instead, he took a huge breath and answered him with finality.

"I'm not marrying him solely for business and you know that." he leaned on his chair that used to belong to the man in front of him, "It has always been Baekhyun for me."

He caught a glimpse of him clenching his jaw but before he even gave it attention, his Uncle was already chuckling mockingly.

"Love, you say?" he grinned, "Let's see where it takes you."

Chanyeol ignored his remarks. He should be used to it, after all. His father always told him about his Uncle's antisocial tendencies so he was ought to understand.

He couldn't wait. He couldn't wait to finally marry Baekhyun. And he wished he knew. He wished he felt the same.

"What are you doing?"

He immediately hid the paper behind him while he was being pampered before the wedding. Minseok suspiciously raised a brow at him before trying to grab his hand behind him.

"What's that?"

Chanyeol tried to shove him away, "Stop!"

"Let me see!" Minseok successfully snatched the paper from him and soon enough, his lips curved into a grin. "Ah...you've written down your vows?"

Chanyeol sighed and kept a frown, "Yes...and so?"

"Thought it was a fake wedding, huh?"

Who said it still was? Everyone else could believe that it was all play-pretend but he wasn't one of them. He was marrying Baekhyun for real. And it would be the perfect time and place for him to finally tell him all the words he kept and held back for so long.

He watched all the details he wanted successfully executed. Chanyeol was keeping his chin tilted up while he waited on the aisle, despite seeing Minseok's suggestive and teasing looks. He only grinned in response. But when he finally saw Baekhyun walking towards where he was, looking so ethereally beautiful, the smile he was keeping faded. His knees felt weak and his heart felt like jumping off his chest. No one could compare, not even the view around them, to how breathtaking Baekhyun looked despite the sadness in his eyes. Chanyeol had to swear, he'd try his hardest to make them happy again.

"You allow me to be exactly who I am meant to be without hesitation and have never asked me to change. There are times when you're hurt."

Chanyeol gulped between these words. His heart twisted when he finally saw Baekhyun's smile. The sadness in his eyes were even more visible, but his smile was so similar to how his young lover smiled at him way back before. Chanyeol tried his hardest to hold his tears back.

"And it doubles the pain in me. You have helped me be more grounded and find calmness in myself. I know that it is not only my job to love you, but to also make sure that you feel unconditionally accepted as the person you are. And now, I will always work toward doing that."

All the words he memorized hours before were put into waste. He ended up saying raw things from his heart. And he didn't know if it was a good thing because Baekhyun was crying so hard in front of him, but he was smiling as well.

After a long time, Chanyeol felt like he wasn't driven by anger. He felt like the same teenage boy who held Baekhyun on top of the hill, watching sunset, promising him words that were still yet to be actions. This time, he wanted to make them real.

That day, he felt satisfied and contented watching Baekhyun loosening up and having the time of his life. Just seeing him laugh was enough. Chanyeol was even more eager to try and make this a normal thing.

"Am I still...uh..." Baekhyun initiated when they reached their private suite after the wedding party, "keeping my...own room?"

Chanyeol pursed his lips, hands in his pockets while he tried to hide how happy he was that day. He nodded with a small smile instead that got Baekhyun blinking.

Like what he said, he would take it slow.

"Whatever you like." he simply answered, "If you want to share a room with me, it's fine too."

He saw Baekhyun gulping before he nodded.

"O-Okay...I'll just...keep my room."

If he needed more time to adjust, then Chanyeol would gladly give it to him.

Chanyeol wanted to be as subtle as he could. He enjoyed seeing a faint blush on Baekhyun when he was being nice. Little reactions from him completed his days. He was undeniably happy seeing the smallest smiles curving on Baekhyun's lips, especially if it's because of him.

And then it dawned on him. It wasn't only his improving relationship with Baekhyun that made the latter happier than he had been. It was because of his father too. And Chanyeol didn't know how to react on it. He wanted to dismiss it. He really wanted to spare Baekhyun out of it as much as possible and this could be a way, but what he couldn't believe was when Baekhyun was already believing the other truth one day.

It couldn't get worse. Everyone had already turned their backs against him. He felt so helpless trying to fight for the justice of his parents and the people killed. And then of all people, Baekhyun was trying to tell him like what others did.

It hurt. It was painful.

"I can't fucking believe this..." Chanyeol smiled bitterly, "After all the lives that were lost in a flick of his fingers, he had you wrapped around his finger this time."

Chanyeol saw the pain in Baekhyun's eyes when he said that. It was a pain for his father. For the one who killed his parents. And how was Chanyeol supposed to take that away?

But he didn't stop him. Baekhyun looked so fulfilled whenever he was with him. Chanyeol didn't try changing that. He thought of alternative ways to spill the truth as soon as possible, so that Baekhyun could finally come to his senses as well.

Then again, it went futile when the Chairman suddenly died. Chanyeol ran his fingers through his hair in frustration while he walked back and forth in his office. All his problems piled up, but one thing worried him the most.

"Baekhyun is still not answering..." Minseok said before dialing again.

Chanyeol felt horrible. He organized the funeral of his parents' murderer. He couldn't even fathom thinking about it before, but there he was, enduring it for the sake of his husband. He got bothered by simply watching Baekhyun slowly losing himself. He wanted to be there for him. But it was the most he could do because Baekhyun wouldn't spare him a glance.

"If Baekhyun really thought you killed the Chairman, then you must explain to him immediately Chanyeol." Minseok said before the Chairman's interment, "He's not getting any better."

Chanyeol finally looked at him. He spoke with finality.

"If he was really killed..." Chanyeol felt his stomach clenching, "I'll find the one who did it."

Minseok looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you serious?"

For Baekhyun, again, he would. That's how it worked and it always will.

"Where will he be buried?"

Chanyeol stared at his Uncle who's looking at his glass of rum in his living room when he visited.

"Seoul Memorial Park." he answered and only got a nod as response, "Aren't you coming?"

The man looked at him. He blinked for a few times before crossing his brows.

"No..." he muttered, "Why would I?"

Chanyeol didn't even know why he bothered asking. He was too preoccupied with his problems, Baekhyun, then his problems again. They all piled up on his shoulders and Baekhyun's sudden announcement didn't even help.

He was giving him time to recover. He was trying to make everything easier for Baekhyun, but why was Baekhyun doing the opposite?

"Fuck..." Chanyeol combed his fingers through his hair in so much frustration, "I-I badly...want to know what runs in your mind. Please."

Baekhyun was suddenly giving him the company. Chanyeol hated it. Because it felt like he was fixing everything so that he could finally leave them without problems. Chanyeol didn't even want to welcome any thought about him leaving.

And he would only answer with a smile. The same _fucking _smile that drove Chanyeol insane. He wanted Baekhyun to let all his anger out and not this way.

"Minseok..." he called him before they get into the car heading to the party Flair organized for him, "what was that all about?"

He didn't have to hug Baekhyun. Chanyeol wasn't stupid to notice how off-putting it was. There was something going on. And he felt so frustrated because he felt so lost.

"What?" Minseok absentmindedly responded before completely ignoring him throughout the ride. Chanyeol watched him in confusion. If it wasn't for his CFO's jokes, they would drown into silence and it wasn't normal for someone like Minseok.

Something was wrong.

He finally got the chance to be left alone with Minseok when everyone else went dancing. Chanyeol saw him drinking quietly on the corner, looking like he was in deep thought.

"Minseok." he called and the man only glanced at him. Chanyeol stared at him before sighing heavily, "Tell the board I won't be starting tomorrow. I want to talk to Baekhyun first."

His assistant only looked down on his glass, as if he didn't hear what he said. Chanyeol creased his brows.

"Minseok, did you hear what I said?"

"Have you told Baekhyun about what you truly feel, Chanyeol?"

Chanyeol was taken aback. He gulped when he recalled how Minseok looked at Baekhyun earlier that day. Something was definitely off.

"What?"

Minseok shook his head and took one last gulp, "I wonder if you did...it could've made a big difference." he stood up and Chanyeol remained watching him, "I'll tell the board you won't start tomorrow. Just call me once you're already sane enough to work."

He left and Chanyeol was silent all the time he was left drinking with the other executives. He could barely hear all their stories when he was stuck with Minseok's words running in his head. It wasn't helping when Baekhyun's smile that day kept on flashing in his mind. He had to gulp more liquor to distract himself, not knowing that he might regret it later on.

He had a hunch. But Chanyeol wouldn't accept even the thought of it. Baekhyun wouldn't really think he was the one behind his father's death, would he?

Chanyeol wasn't really thinking straight.

He went home and despite the heaviness in his head, his chest still felt like the heaviest of them all. Something felt wrong like he was on the edge of falling. He couldn't explain what it was but among the flowing emotions in his system, one thing was certain—he was afraid.

Afraid that he'd come home without Baekhyun there. Afraid that it was the last time he'd ever talk to him.

Afraid that he had...finally given up.

And God knows how relieved he was when he saw him sleeping soundly on his bed. Chanyeol was breathing heavily. He had the urge to keep him caged in his arms and never let him go. Or maybe love him hard that leaving wouldn't cross his mind anymore.

He just had to try.

"I'll make it up to you...promise." he breathed against his lips and did it all. The way his actions were very conscious despite being drunk was evident. Chanyeol felt like one wrong touch or kiss would make Baekhyun leave.

The way Baekhyun let him do whatever he pleased didn't make him less afraid. He wanted him to speak. He wanted him to tell him what was wrong. But he just kept mum while giving meaningful smiles and gazes to Chanyeol.

"You make me so afraid..."

It was the last thing he recalled saying along with Baekhyun's hand caressing his back. Because when he woke up, the fear lingered on him. The arms wrapped around him the night before were gone. Chanyeol stood up and immediately looked around Baekhyun's room. His fear intensified when he opened the closet and saw a few clothes left there. He grabbed his phone from his pants on the floor and dialed Baekhyun's number, but like what he expected, it was out of reach.

When he woke up, Baekhyun wasn't there anymore, nor any trace of him.

He worked neatly. He made sure everything fell into place and Chanyeol was mad about that.

Chanyeol dismissed his throbbing head. He rushed down the stairs and when the maids saw him, they straightened up and shared glances.

"Where's Baekhyun?" he demanded as soon as he got closer. They avoided his bloodshot eyes, "Huh? Where is he?"

"H-He left earlier...Sir."

"Where did he go?" his jaw hardened when they only shook their heads, "Tell me!"

The maid in front of him flinched and kept her head lower.

"H-He went t-to vacation...I d-don't know where exactly, Sir..."

Chanyeol's chest was heaving heavily. Baekhyun didn't leave for a vacation and he knew that. His eyes fell on a familiar maid who's staring blankly on the floor. He took big steps towards her.

"Jungah, where is Baekhyun?" he asked again.

She shook her head, "I don't know, Sir."

Chanyeol rubbed his palm on his face in so much frustration. When he let it go, his eyes were glistening.

"Please. J-Just tell me..."

The maid stared at him blankly, as if satisfied seeing him so messed up.

"I don't know, Sir. Maybe he wanted to rest." she repeated, showing no pity for Chanyeol as she looked down again. Chanyeol got a hand on a vase nearby and harshly threw it on the wall. The maids wouldn't dare move from where they stood.

Chanyeol harshly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as he changed into decent clothes. He didn't bother eating or taking a bath before leaving the mansion with no clear plans on where he was heading to. Baekhyun could've gone home or he badly wanted to escape Chanyeol that he could've gone somewhere farther.

_Goddammit. _Chanyeol would find him everywhere if that's what it takes for him to get him back.

And he was right. Baekhyun had gone home. In an instant, Chanyeol was back to the place where every good and bad thing in his life happened. He couldn't believe he was back for a reason he never expected.

"What is happening between you and Baekhyun?"

The remorse in Mrs. Ahn's voice made him tear up even more. Chanyeol silently sat on the couch of their small house, waiting for Baekhyun while he tried to form the words he'd tell him once he got back. He couldn't even eat the food the old woman had prepared for him despite how hungry and tired he was from driving for hours.

He wanted him back. He'd only go home if Baekhyun was with him.

Minseok told him that it could've made a difference if he told him how he felt. Chanyeol finally realized he was right. He was holding too tight onto his wrath for Baekhyun's father that he forgot about everything they've been through. Chanyeol never truly understood how it would possibly feel like once he would completely lose Baekhyun because of the pain he was inflicting on him.

"I l-love you...I love you so much, Baek...Don't make me l-lose you again..."

He said he'd take it slow. What he didn't realize was that he was playing it safe as well. Baekhyun didn't need vague actions. He needed to hear what Chanyeol was feeling, but Chanyeol was holding firmly onto his pride.

That night, Chanyeol stopped trying. Not because he was tired, but because Baekhyun was. Baekhyun was so exhausted and forcing him to stay would only push him away even more.

_So that's how it felt like. _Chanyeol realized it countless of times. Baekhyun was much braver than he was.

Did he regret letting him go? No. Chanyeol was left with no other choice. He would never try pushing it further when it wasn't healthy anymore. What he regretted was the way he loved and the way it turned things out. Chanyeol failed to see what Baekhyun truly meant to him.

He didn't deserve him. So he wholeheartedly turned his back on him no matter how painful it was. He drove home while crying, but he knew he did the right thing. He could never keep Baekhyun when he was like that. Baekhyun deserved so much better.

So did Chanyeol regret it?

No. For he got the answer he wanted.

"It's the local university in your hometown..." his assistant sheepishly smiles, "Sorry, Sir...I was trying to tell them you're busy."

Chanyeol rubs his chin with his hand.

"Actually...I haven't been here before." he nods while looking at the letter with a stamp on it, "I think I can come."

His assistant's lips parted in awe. It took her a while before she finally smiles.

"Okay! I'll tell them." she says, "Ah...are you finally, finally going for a vacation now, Mr. Park?"

He glances at her from his laptop screen, chuckling lightly.

"Maybe." 


	20. 19-Owner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments motivate me a lot ^-^

“I can’t believe we’re both head chefs! I got here way before you did!”

Baekhyun hears a whining voice he already expected but that doesn’t take the big smile away from his face when he turns around to see his frown.

“What?” he huffs in annoyance, “Don’t smile at me like that! I can even accept if it’s Yixing even if he’s clumsy all the time…but you? Why you?”

“Why not me?”

“Yeah, why not Baekhyun?” Yixing asks curiously, opposed to Baekhyun’s taunting tone.

“Because he’s amateur?” Kyungsoo says in disbelief. Baekhyun smiles even wider, “What, not true?”

“Even if you like my cream puffs so much?”

Kyungsoo frowns even more.

“Everybody can make good cream puffs!”

Baekhyun got the chance to pinch his cheek before his hand gets slapped. He stands up from the round table with the same grin.

“Not enough to have head chef Do Kyungsoo sneaking them into the staff room to devour them—”

“Now you’re making stories!”

“Kyung, you’re too noisy.” Baekhyun puts his arm around his neck despite the man intensely glaring at him, “I’m the head pastry chef. YOU are the executive chef.” he beams while wiggling his brows.

Kyungsoo doesn’t answer. He glares at Baekhyun right beside him.

“You still own the kitchen, darling.”

The frowning guy harshly pulls away from his arm, “Get off.” he says before stomping his way out of there.

Baekhyun watches him in so much amusement. He really took the time to go there just to pull his tantrums and Baekhyun isn’t even annoyed.

“Isn’t he so cute?”

Yixing snorts at him, “He’s a piece of work and you call him cute?” he only shakes his head when Baekhyun only laughs, “After your official promotion, Manager-nim will announce it to every staff and there’s a little celebration.”

Baekhyun nods. He remembers something.

“Will he finally introduce us to the owner?”

Yixing shrugs, “I told you, he’s not typically introduced to the staffs. I haven’t even met him either, I just saw him one time when he ate dinner with some investors in our restau.” Baekhyun grows even more curious, “But other than that, Manager-nim does majority of the staff briefing. CEO always stays in his penthouse upstairs when he’s here.”

“That’s weird.” Baekhyun’s lips protruded, “I always forget to google him.”

Yixing’s brows crease, “I thought about that but then you won’t find anything about an owner of a hotel in a distant province like this. It’s always about the place itself alone.”

“I’d like to meet him one day.” Baekhyun shrugs, “I’ll tell him how pissed I am that Boss Manager does all the work.”

Yixing chuckles with a look of disbelief, “You wish.”

x

Baekhyun can’t wipe the smile off his face. He’s practically humming while biking on his way home, slightly gaining attention from the people around. He dismisses their weirded out stares and continues anyway.

After more than a year in the hotel he’s working at, he’s already promoted as the head pastry chef. Baekhyun didn’t want to believe either, given the fact that he had the shortest time of training among the promoted chefs including his one year vocational degree for pastry. But the Manager and his other colleagues are more than happy with his performance since he always gets to satisfy the guests with his specialties. Everyone was happy with his promotion, and it’s more than what he could ever wish for.

After a long time, Baekhyun finally has the guts to say that he’s happy with what he does. It makes him feel complete.

“Oh?”

He slows down in pedaling when he sees an enforcer in the main road and there are trucks of goods stranded at the end of the street. Baekhyun steps on the ground to stop and tries to tilt his head up to see what’s going on.

An enforcer points a light to distant cars. He waits for him to walk a little closer before he maneuvers the bike in front of him.

“Sir?”

“There’s a check point going on. The road is packed.” he tells Baekhyun, “Take the shortcut.”

Baekhyun opens his mouth to protest but he realizes it’s no use. The enforcer already walked away as well.

_Ugh, why?_

He ponders on his spot for a while, deciding whether he’ll take the shortcut or just wait ‘til he gets a space to push through. In the end, he sighs in defeat when bigger cars start filling up the road. He turns the bike around and leaves.

Baekhyun pedals a little faster. He doesn’t even know why his heartbeat is uneasy. He’ll take a shortcut on his way home, that’s it. It’s that simple. He doesn’t know why it has to affect him so much and he’s annoyed.

He reaches the said way and there are some people at the end of the street, obviously trying to avoid the traffic at the main road as well. He continues to go in the small subdivision. As he reaches inside, the people are fewer than how it was outside. Maybe because it’s a little isolated subdivision.

When his eyes caught the same house, he tries to look away. He really tried. But instinctively, Baekhyun’s pace slows down. Before he knows it, he’s basically stopping by in front of the old mansion.

Baekhyun stares at it for a while.

How long has it been? More than two years? He never even tried passing by this house. Everything becomes too much for him to control so he avoided it as much as he could. But now he’s getting a little braver.

He exhales a deep breath while looking at its intricate details that look even older this time. He wonders if it’s still maintained. He can’t see the inside that much because of the tall gates, and he won’t try either. It’s enough that he gets to see it again.

There’s still a little pain, but it’s becoming more bearable to him. It’s a good thing, right? It should be an improvement. If he can finally look at it now without tearing up, then one day, he’ll be able to look at it without feeling anything at all.

He’ll be patient.

Baekhyun hears the gate lock clanking from the inside and his eyes widen. He hastily steps on the pedal but of course, he’s too clumsy to even do it properly. His foot ends up slipping and he almost fell from the bike itself. _Goodness gracious._

“Goddamn…”

“Hyung?”

Baekhyun’s face softens from frowning. He suddenly feels afraid to lift his gaze from his foot, but he knows that someone’s standing on the corner. He would also lie if he says he can’t recognize the voice even with the little change in it.

“I knew it’s you…” he finally looks at the tall guy, almost as old as his sister now. His lips parted in awe, not knowing what to say either. This time, his heart finally twists badly when he sees him smiling warmly at him. He failed keeping his dignity when he was convincing himself just a while ago that he’s already close to forgetting.

“How are you, Baekhyun-hyung?” Hanseung asks him. Baekhyun blinks rapidly when he couldn’t even utter a word. The smile from Hanseung’s face slightly fades because of the response he got. Baekhyun sees pain in his eyes and the lump in his throat grows even bigger. He gulps before fixing his bike and stepping on the pedal.

“I’m g-good…nice to see you.” he tries to smile but it only comes out forced. He didn’t look at him again when he quickly leaves the place.

Baekhyun huffs through his mouth when he finally reaches the front of their house. He only ends up laughing at himself. _Aren’t you just so stupid, Baekhyun?_

It’s been years, isn’t it? And he still thinks about the same person. Deep inside, he still wonders how he does no matter how much he refuses to hear or see anything about him. Isn’t that stupid?

Baekhyun comes up with the most casual face when he walks in the house. He won’t let that little scenario linger in his mind and bother him for the night. He’s too happy to let anything spoil his day.

When he walks to his room, his mother is already washing the dishes from dinner. She looks behind and offers a small smile. Before Baekhyun can even say anything, he sees a small bouquet of flowers on the table.

Picking up something to eat, Baekhyun curiously stares at it. “Who’s this from?”

His mother looks at him again and shrugs. Baekhyun licks his thumb before picking up a small note in it.

** _Congrats on your promotion!_ **

Below it is a phone number he doesn’t recognize. Baekhyun looks at his mother who’s equally confused as him but doesn’t look surprised either. It’s like she’s too used to her son being adored by everyone.

“Have you eaten?”

“Yup, I went out to have a little celebration with Kyung and Yixing.” his mother nods, “I’ll be sleeping now. Night, Eomma.”

He kisses her forehead and looks at the flowers on the table again. No doubt, it’s for him. But Baekhyun is still a little skeptical about it. Maybe it’s a prank from his stupid friends.

He grabs it and takes it to his room anyway. After placing it beside his bed, he changes his clothes and prepares to sleep. So he doesn’t know why he’s staring at the card again, looking between it and his phone before deciding to see for himself who the sender really is.

It’s getting late now, but the sender seems to be waiting for his call from the way he picked up the phone in between the first ring.

_“Congrats!”_

Baekhyun’s brows crease.

“Sehun?”

_“Ah…I was hoping I could have a little guessing game but you knew it’s me…”_

“I didn’t know…” Baekhyun clears his throat before chuckling, “It’s your voice, you idiot. Wait—did you change your number?”

He’s actually surprised, that’s why. His friendship with Sehun didn’t stop but they’re barely talking as well. The first time Sehun contacted him again was a month after he left Seoul. After that, they’re still talking every now and then but not that much since Sehun became too busy with the company.

And Baekhyun honestly preferred it that way. He wanted to leave everything and everyone he knew from Seoul in the past. He was too scared to know anything about it that he avoided it intensely. But he couldn’t do it completely when a BEPE branch exists in this town and he has to see it every day. The businesses and names he badly wants to avoid are all over the media and tabloids so it’s actually useless to try so hard.

But as far as he knows, BEPE skyrocketed on the same year he left. Flair is doing consistently great either. So maybe _he’s _doing great. Baekhyun’s happy about that.

_“Yeah, I did. Sorry if I’m only able to call you now. I’m afraid that you’re too busy that you might not have the time for me, chef.”_

Baekhyun lets out a light laugh, “Silly. Between the two of us, you’re the busy one.” he hears a chuckle as a response, “But wait…how did you know?”

_“You told me before you wanted to be a chef, right?”_

“No…” Baekhyun shakes his head, “I mean, not that. How did you know that I got promoted?”

Sehun pauses for a while but he chuckles again.

_“You know, connections.” _he says and Baekhyun can tell that he only shrugged.

Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say anymore. He can’t say a word when he’s scared of asking and knowing anything about the world he left a long time ago and at the same time, he doesn’t want everything to be about him as well.

_“How are you?” _Sehun asks when he fell silent.

“I’m doing fine.” Baekhyun answers, not even convinced by himself.

_“Find baking superb?”_

“Yeah…except for a fact that you smell like flour and eggs all the time.” he clicks his tongue and Sehun laughs, “No but really…it makes me happy and satisfied…so I think I’m doing good.”

_“So career’s doing fine…” _he pauses, _“and love life?”_

Baekhyun is now laying down his bed, eyes fixated in the ceiling and Sehun’s question didn’t even make him flinch.

“That’s crazy.” Baekhyun smiles, “You know I can’t. Besides…I’m just doing fine alone.”

_“Why not?” _Sehun didn’t even pause, _“It’s been years and I never heard anything about you and Chanyeol. What’s the real deal? The way I see it, you two are over. He doesn’t even mention anything about you.” _Sehun hisses.

Baekhyun doesn’t answer, the smile on his face becomes a bitter one.

_“Why don’t you file a divorce?”_

It gets a little uneasy to breathe. This is the exact reason why he doesn’t want to talk about anything from the life that is long gone from him.

“I’m a little tired from work, Hun…” he says, trying to cut the conversation in the most obvious way. “It’s been a long day for me.”

Sehun sighs from the other line.

_“Sorry…I shouldn’t have brought it up.” _Baekhyun gulps when he hears the guilt in his voice, _“It’s just…I can’t believe you’re wasting years when you can love anyone freely instead.”_

Baekhyun smiles, “Don’t worry about me, Sehun.”

_“How can I not?” _Sehun’s voice sounds so frustrated and he doesn’t know why, _“Anyway, go to sleep. I just wanted to congratulate you.”_

“Thank you…and for the flowers too.” Baekhyun glances at them beside him, “They’re beautiful.”

_“No problem.” _he says gently, _“Maybe someday I can come over and eat your brownies specialty.”_

Baekhyun chuckles, “Cream puffs are my specialty. But I make superb brownies too.” he smiles again, “Night, Sehun.”

He shuts his eyes tight, exhaustion slowly dawning upon him.

_“Good night, Baek.”_

Baekhyun closes the lamp right after, but he finds himself wide awake, opposed to what he told Sehun. He stares into nothingness, unable to fall asleep despite how tired he is.

He won’t be lying. A lot of people are still curious about him and his whereabouts. Of course, he’s the only son of a great businessman that died tragically. He’s the husband of a very powerful business tycoon in the present. Baekhyun can just imagine how hard it must be for Chanyeol to make excuses whenever he’s not with him in social events or when he’s not being seen by the public. But eventually, people learned to focus on what’s in front of them. Chanyeol’s achievements in the business industry made the people focus on those, and not on his very _private _life.

Why would anyone spend their time caring about his unimportant husband?

Baekhyun left, but divorcing Chanyeol is a different matter. When he does that, people will start suspecting and talking about it. He doesn’t want to give them a reason to start rumors. He doesn’t want to risk all his sacrifices for another chaos. He’s done with that phase.

So it’s all fine for him. Chanyeol never bothered him either, so why would he? If the latter asks him for a divorce then he’ll cooperate without question. But now, Baekhyun wants to keep himself out of the spotlight he never wanted.

By keeping everything as it is, he won’t have to see him again. Or so he thought.

Days passed by and the demands of his job gets tougher. He always thought that giving orders is so much easier than obeying them, but now he realized it’s definitely harder. The choice is completely up to him so if anything is messed up, then he should take responsibility.

He didn’t think running a company and a kitchen can somehow be the same.

So when Saturday finally came, Baekhyun is quite relieved that it’s his day off from work. A little time away from the kitchen is necessary.

He accompanied Yeri in paying her graduation fee, hugging her in the process while tearing up now that his baby sister is finally finishing college. She only pushes him away and fakes a frown, a trace of smile is on her face. When they got home, Baekhyun sees a car parked in front of their house. He began getting anxious again. He will always get nervous when something is unusual around him and it became natural now.

Yeri didn’t notice since she went inside the house ahead of him. After a while, he hears her shrieking from the living room. Baekhyun had to quickly step inside to check.

“OMG!”

Baekhyun frowns because of her annoying voice but when he sees two people standing in their living room, his face softens. And maybe his breathing got a little hitched too.

“J-Jongdae…”

His bestfriend rolls his eyes, “Don’t give me that look! You can’t be surprised that I’ll come to see you one day even when you ditched me for a lot of times!” he snorts but steps towards Baekhyun anyways. He pulls him for a tight hug that Baekhyun gives back, but his eyes remain on the other person, not blinking in shock.

“Hi Baekhyun…” Minseok timidly smiles at him, “how are you?”

Jongdae pulls away and looks at his shocked friend. He smiles guiltily when Baekhyun wasn’t able to answer.

“Sorry for the bomb.” Jongdae says sheepishly before hugging Yeri. He looks at Baekhyun and shrugs, “He wants to see you too.”

Baekhyun tries to get a grip of himself. He doesn’t want to be rude and unwelcoming so he flashes a smile.

“Hi Minseok…” he reluctantly gives him a half-hug, “W-What brings you guys here?”

Jongdae sits ahead of them when he saw that they both have no plans, “Sometimes you’re really a stupid shit who likes to hurt me.” he hisses at Baekhyun, “We’re here to simply visit. You’re still my friend, even if you completely forgot about me and barely answer my texts. Or even if you got new friends to replace me. I’m still here for you.” Jongdae smiles through gritted teeth and Baekhyun slaps his leg while chuckling.

“I didn’t forget about you!” Baekhyun says defensively, “I got too busy but I still reply to your texts except when you’re just being nasty.”

“You don’t even have time for my nastiness anymore, what level of being diva is this…”

“No one wants to hear about your sex life, Jongdae.” Baekhyun says that got Jongdae snorting even more. He looks at Minseok beside him who’s just smiling while watching them, “How are you Minseok?”

Minseok smiles bigger, “I’m good. I just came home from Australia before we went here.”

Baekhyun slowly nods, “Oh…business conference?”

“No…” Minseok shakes his head, “I took my masters there so…”

“Really?” Baekhyun finds it too hard to avoid mentioning anything, “That’s great to hear. It’s amazing that you managed to study while helping…uh…with Flair.”

Minseok’s smile slightly fades. He looks at Jongdae beside him as if asking for help.

Jongdae blinks rapidly before clearing his throat, “Uh…he resigned from Flair, Baek.”

Baekhyun’s mouth parted in shock.

“Really?” he gulps, “W-When?”

“Uhm, it’s been years too, I think?” Minseok says while nodding, “Not too long after you left.”

Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say again, “Oh…”

So Chanyeol was…all alone? All he had was Minseok whom he trusted completely. Baekhyun couldn’t even imagine them separating ways before, so hearing it now makes him wonder.

Minseok noticed how he became speechless for a while. He and Jongdae share subtle glances with each other before he speaks again.

“It was Chanyeol’s decision to let me leave.” he says when he sees the worry all over Baekhyun’s face, “He knew about how I wanted to study again, so one day he just told me to do it. I insisted to stay at first though…cause he was obviously devastated when you—” Jongdae nudges him slightly when he said too much, “I-I mean…yeah, I wanted to help him but he insisted.”

Baekhyun nods, “I’m glad he was able to manage.”

Minseok genuinely smiles at him, “I missed you, Baek. I know things were messy before…but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a friend to me. I hope our friendship isn’t one of the things you left in Seoul…”

Baekhyun clutches on his sides. Something in his heart twists.

“It isn’t.” he tries to keep his voice from breaking, “I’m sorry…too, Minseok. If I ever doubted you. Y-You’ve always been so kind to me…I didn’t know why I assumed you had motives…”

Instead of being mad, Minseok smiles sadly.

“I knew. Chanyeol told me you were suspecting.” Baekhyun looks at the floor, his guilt gets worse. “But I understand. I should’ve known when you were looking at me wide-eyed when I picked up a mystery envelope outside your door. You were cautious of everyone, so I didn’t mind.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Just know that the last thing I would do is to ruin whatever it is between you and Chanyeol. You’re both my friends.”

Baekhyun is now able to smile, “You’re my friend too.” he sighs and glances sideways, “After all, you visited me right after you went home from a far place. You’re not like someone who’s just a few cities away and didn’t even manage to see his friend for a long time.”

Jongdae straightens up from leaning, “Wow…I—”

Baekhyun ignores him and points Minseok’s finger, “And you got a ring now too! Ah…figures! Who is it? Did he or she allow you to be accompanied by this freak here and—wait, fuck…oh my god?”

He gasps and Minseok only laughs because of his reaction. Jongdae leans his elbow on the couch, looking at him with narrowed eyes opposed to his widening ones.

“Bitch won’t even let me talk.”

“SINCE WHEN?!”

“Stop screaming.” Jongdae sighs but Baekhyun can tell he’s hiding a smile, “That’s another thing we came to tell you, actually.”

Minseok raises both his brows, “We got engaged, and we want you to be one of the first people to know before Jongdae makes a public announcement.” Minseok says sarcastically that got his boyfriend glaring at him.

“Yeah, and as my friend, you have to be useful in my life. Make our wedding cake.” Jongdae says but Baekhyun’s still jaw-dropped from all the information.

“Wait…wait. Since when did you two…I mean…”

Jongdae glances at Minseok, “Completely clueless and dense, isn’t he?” he smiles when Baekhyun slaps his leg again, “At your wedding…actually. We met there and became best buddies.” he wiggles his brows with the word he used and Baekhyun just knows better, “But then I realized he’s better in bed than my trashy ex-boyfriend, so I’m marrying him.”

Minseok looks so done beside him so Jongdae kisses him on the cheek, compromising for implying he’s only marrying him for sex. Baekhyun groans but looks at them happily anyways.

“That’s crazy…thank god I never listened to your sex stories. Would’ve traumatized me if I knew it was Minseok all along.” Baekhyun taps both of them, “But seriously…I’m very happy for you guys. Who would’ve thought? But yes…I’ll definitely make your cake! Discounted!”

Jongdae cusses, “You can’t fucking do this to me!”

“Nothing’s free, Dae.”

Minseok laughs, “It’s okay, Baek. We’re shouldering your plane ticket too since we’re doing it in Australia.”

Baekhyun’s smile slightly fades, “Really?” he blinks rapidly, “Did you invite a lot of people?”

Minseok looks at him, immediately knowing his concern.

“Yes.” Jongdae answers without hesitation, “Do you worry about seeing him? Baek, you can’t hide fore—”

“Uh…I doubt if Chanyeol will come, Baek.” Minseok cuts him off, avoiding Jongdae to continue his harsh words. “And if you’re too uncomfortable about it…then we won’t invite him.”

Jongdae looks at his fiancé in disbelief. Minseok only looks back at him meaningfully, and even without words, Baekhyun knows they’re already arguing.

“N-No…please don’t worry about me. You can invite him too, Minseok. He’s your friend.” this is not the time to be inconsiderate, Baekhyun knows how important this is to them.

“Okay.” Minseok chuckles awkwardly, “I really think he’s busy though…maybe he’d pass.”

“Of course he will. Why would he want to see the one who had him on the edge of ins—”

“Babe…enough.” Minseok mumbles at him. Baekhyun gulps and dismisses his friend’s remark. Maybe Chanyeol got too devastated before and they all blame him for that. He can’t blame them.

“Anyways…are you dating someone now, Baek?” Minseok asks to divert the topic. Baekhyun forces a smile. The same old question that he badly wants to avoid.

“No…”

“Gosh, 30 and single. Living the life, Baekhyun?” Jongdae asks him with a grin, “For Pete’s sake, I’m getting married now and perhaps, I’ll be bearing a child and you’re still single!”

“You can’t bear a child.” Baekhyun answers, “And technically, I’m not single…in papers.”

“Please date Baekhyun! And get yourself laid!”

“Don’t have the time.”

Jongdae sighs in defeat, “I’ll pretend to be convinced that it’s really your reason…”

“Dae, stop pressuring him. It’s not really allowed…wherever you look at it.” Minseok says.

“Why not?! Baekhyun is basically single! Even Chanyeol is already—”

Minseok gets his mouth shoved with the cookies Mrs. Ahn prepared for them. Baekhyun stares at them, his last sentence didn’t go unnoticed even when Jongdae is already choking with a mouthful of food and Minseok forcing a smile at him.

“He’s dating?”

Baekhyun doesn’t even know why he uttered that. So what if Chanyeol’s dating? He’s free to do so! Baekhyun’s free too. So what?

Jongdae continues to blabber things he doesn’t understand. Minseok blinks rapidly, feeling the pressure on him because of Baekhyun’s stare.

“Uh…I don’t really know, Baek.” Minseok says, “But I told you…he’s too busy, so probably no.”

Baekhyun chuckles, “No problem about that. He deserves to be happy too.”

Jongdae completely swallowed the food that hindered him from talking, “Not when he’s still tied to you. He can’t date anyone freely cause he’s in the public eye.” he drinks water before continuing, “Why don’t you just file a divorce? In that way, you’ll both be free to hook up with other people.”

Baekhyun sighs. Not this one again.

“I told you…I don’t want another chaos. I don’t want to stress myself in such a complicated process.”

“Eh, not really. If the both of you want the divorce then it should not be that hard. Given that you also got married in a foreign country. Your lawyers can do something about it to make it quick.”

“And does he want it?” Baekhyun clears his throat when his tone made the two look at him intently, “I mean…I just don’t want us circulating in news and headlines again. He’s a big person. It’ll do nothing good to him and his career. He’ll possibly lose BEPE too if we get a divorce.”

Minseok and Jongdae look at him for a while. Baekhyun gulps and tries to think if he said something wrong. After a while, Jongdae shrugs.

“Point taken. He probably wants to keep BEPE as well, especially when he and Sehun barely agree with each other.”

Baekhyun can only nod. He sees Minseok looking at him before shrugging as well.

“Yeah…” he says hesitantly, “But you know…knowing Chanyeol, he wouldn’t mind losing the company if you really want it.” he pauses when Baekhyun looks away, “He’d probably give you the divorce you want no matter how big it will cost him.”

Baekhyun purses his lips before forcing a smile.

“We’ll go here again tomorrow since you’re still on leave!” Jongdae excitedly yells when they went outside, “We’re both touring Minseok around Jeolla since his cute boyfie grew up here!” he says while pinching his boyfriend’s cheek.

Baekhyun fakes a groan, “Can you just do it yourself?”

“Nope! This is a part of your wedding service.” Jongdae smiles tauntingly, “I’ll just start the car!”

Jongdae runs to the car they brought and Baekhyun is left with Minseok. Baekhyun faces him and he sees Minseok watching Jongdae from the distance.

“Ah…you two…”

Minseok smiles before going serious again, “I’m sorry, Baek…”

His brows crease, “For what?”

“For…leaving Chanyeol. I know I should’ve stayed with him especially when you left.”

Baekhyun isn’t able to answer immediately.

“Why are you apologizing? It’s not your obligation to stay with him Minseok…you deserve to do what you want too.”

“I don’t know…I just felt like I made it harder for him.” he says, “Before I left, the board was pressuring him. He never got along with Sehun as well…I just hope they’re fine now.”

It was one of his final wishes to Chanyeol; he wished to have Sehun remain on his post even without him there. It’s the least he could do for all the things the man had done for the company and for his mother as well. He knew how difficult it must be for Chanyeol…but he still complied to his wishes.

“They’ve always hated each other’s guts.” Baekhyun chuckles, “But they’re both professionals. So I know before their feud, they’ll think of the company first. I know they will.”

“Chanyeol actually managed to keep BEPE’s legacy. I think they’re set to build up more sites along the country’s boarder. He’s really something, isn’t he?” Minseok looks in front when Baekhyun only smiled, “And he refused to change anything from it even on the edge of downfall. Years ago, he promised he’d bring it down, but instead, I saw him on his worst just to lift it up. I’ve seen it all. Even when he was in his lowest point.”

Baekhyun looks at the sky above him, “Why are you telling me this?”

“I just think…Chanyeol will never go to such extent if he’s only in it for the power. Something strong really drove him to do that. And I know you know what it is.” Minseok taps his arm, “I know you’re curious. But more than anything, I know you care. You still do.”

“Enough with chitchats! Let’s go back to the hotel!” Jongdae shouts at them from the car.

Minseok smiles at him even when he’s barely doing the same, “Thanks for today, Baek.”

Baekhyun waves them goodbye and watches until their car is gone from his sight. He stands there for a while, thinking about Minseok’s quick words.

He knows what that strong drive is, because it was also the one pushing him before.

x

Baekhyun arrives fifteen minutes late on a Monday morning because of Jongdae’s night out. He reminded himself not to trust his friend again when it comes to consuming liquor. Not even Minseok was able to stop him.

“Oh shit…”

He cusses when the kitchen is empty when he arrived. He hastily wears his chef uniform and his apron, running towards the hotel hall. When he gets there, the kitchen staffs are lined up accordingly. He’s panting when he spots Yixing and Kyungsoo, both of which looking at him in surprise.

“I thought you wouldn’t make it!” Yixing whispers at him.

“Fuck…that was close.” he exhales huge breath and looks at Kyungsoo sneering at him.

“You really decided to be late when you’re promoted.”

“Shut up, Kyung. Thanks.” he goes back to Yixing, “What’s going on?”

“Hotel owner is here. Boss Manager will finally introduce us to him and he’ll start with the promoted staffs.” Yixing giggles, “Aren’t we just talking about it before? Now it’s happening…oh, wait. I think that’s him.”

“Stand straight!”

Baekhyun obeys Kyungsoo’s whisper as his gaze falls on the hotel Manager from the distance. He looks back at him and Baekhyun smiles wide. When he walks closer, Baekhyun is able to see the man next to him and the staffs around start mumbling. But Baekhyun is the only one who stopped on his tracks. His smile completely fades.

_Fuck._

“He’s older than I thought…” Yixing whispers beside him but Baekhyun is too shocked to even move. Unwanted memories start flashing before his eyes and before he knows it, they’re already in front of them.

_Fuck, no._

“This is Do Kyungsoo, Sir…he’s our new executive chef.” Baekhyun can still recognize his sly smile even when it’s been years. His grip on his hands behind him tightens, he feels like throwing up and running away.

“This is our new head pastry chef, Byun Baekhyun.” even with his million prayers, the man still took off his sunglasses to look at Baekhyun properly. His smile grows wider as he offers his hand, and Baekhyun doesn’t know if he can accept it with his trembling ones.

“I knew it was you…” he freezes when he hears him saying. Because he wouldn’t take his hand even when Yixing is already nudging him, the man taps his arm instead. “I’m happy to see you again, Baekhyun-ah…oh, it’s been a long time, isn’t it?”

“Baekhyun, get a grip.” Kyungsoo hisses beside him.

“He’s one of our best chefs, Mr. Jang.” the manager’s smile becomes too unusual for him as well, “Young man full of talent.”

The hotel owner nods at him, “I’m aware.”

Baekhyun gulps. He doesn’t know why it’s all happening. He just wants to live peacefully. But why is everything coming back when he already left them in the past? Why won’t they just let him go?


	21. 20-Normal

It's been a while since the man walked away from him. Opposed to what he feels, the other staffs behind him are obviously in awe that they've finally met the hotel's owner for the first time.

Not for Baekhyun though. He met him long time ago. He appeared too much in his nightmares that he never wanted to see him again.

"What is happening to you?" Kyungsoo shakes his arm, "Hey."

"Maybe he's not feeling well." Yixing comments, holding his arm gently. "Baek...you okay?"

Baekhyun snaps out of his thoughts, still breathing heavily. He lifts his gaze just to see his two friends' bewildered faces.

"I'm okay..."

They're both unconvinced, judging from their faces. Baekhyun looks like he's seen a ghost. He's even sweating a little.

Kyungsoo slightly glares at him, "That's the owner of the hotel, Byun. You could've just acted a little normal."

"Give him a break." Yixing hisses, "I think the briefing is over. Let's head back to the kitchen now so you can rest for a while before the restaurant opens."

Baekhyun nods. The three of them start walking out of the hall when they hear their Manager calling for his name.

"Baekhyun!" his two friends look behind but it took him a while to do so. Hijoon, their Manager, is partly running towards where they are. He smiles to the other two chefs before focusing on Baekhyun, "Let your friends go ahead. Stay here for a while."

He shakes his head, not caring if he appears rude. "Sorry boss...I have to prepare the doughs and brief the junior chefs."

"Baekhyun...maybe the owner wants to talk to you it can wait..." Kyungsoo mumbles in disbelief beside him.

Yixing only looks at him, trying to weigh the situation. Baekhyun looks too distraught.

"Don't worry it won't take long." Hijoon says. He doesn't wait for the others' answer as he nods at them, "Go now, Yixing and Kyungsoo. Baekhyun will be there shortly."

The two of them nod before walking away like what's told. They look back at Baekhyun every now and then before eventually leaving.

Baekhyun gulps when they're now gone from his sight. He faces his boss who's smiling at him in anticipation. He points the way, "After you? He wants a quick word in the hall."

He walks ahead of the said man. Baekhyun tries to think straight, strategizing a plan that won't get him in a bigger mess than he's already in.

Attorney Jang is the owner of the hotel all this time. Baekhyun used to think that it might just be a coincidence that he didn't meet the staffs since he's busy. But now it becomes shady for him. This man has a lot of secrets in his sleeves. Baekhyun will have to take extra precautions while he's here.

"Ah...there you are. Why were you in such a hurry?" Mr. Jang smiles warmly, "Hijoon, you can leave us now."

The man bows at him before glancing sideways at Baekhyun. He walks away right then.

"I'm hoping you can still remember me."

He nods, _how can he not? _"Of course, Sir...I remember."

"I'm happy that you've chosen to work in my hotel, Baekhyun-ah." he says. His hands are both behind him like how they've always been, "Isn't it nice to be back in our hometown? It doesn't compare to the city life, does it?"

Baekhyun forces a smile. He chooses to play along, "Yes. Thank you too, for giving me the opportunity to work here."

"Don't mention it. We really get the best people." he clears his throat, "So all this time, your passion is baking? Is that why you left BEPE?"

Baekhyun gets a little stunned. He knew this would be brought up. He should've come up with an answer.

"Partly...yes. Business is not really for me, so I'd rather not ruin my father's legacy. But BEPE is still important to me."

The man looks at him in amusement, "It was a selfless act, if you ask me. But now I understand. It becomes even more successful in the recent years." Baekhyun only nods, "Mr. Park has always been a genius when it comes to this."

Baekhyun's lips curve a little smugly. _Of course, you'll know._

"Don't get me wrong...but does he know that you work here? Correct me if I'm mistaken..." he narrows his eyes, "but you two are married, right?"

Baekhyun purses his lips and nods.

"Ah..." the man slowly nods too, "I was just wondering...since I saw a different status in your employee record."

Baekhyun cusses inside his head. He blinks rapidly and tries to come up with an alibi, "Oh...t-that. I'm sorry, Sir. I just thought my chances will be bigger if nobody knows about my connection to Chanyeol. I was afraid people won't take my skills seriously if they knew about...us."

Mr. Jang looks even more amused, "Ah, I understand. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret." he looks around before continuing, "But...is it fine for Mr. Park that you're here? I mean...you're very far from him."

He can see the utmost curiosity in his eyes, any wrong word that comes out of Baekhyun's lips can put him into danger. It took him a while before answering again.

"Are you separated from him now?"

Baekhyun flashes a casual smile before shaking his head. The man obviously did not expect this, looking at the way his brows slightly crease.

"No, Sir. We're still together." he says with a smile. Baekhyun doesn't blink an eye, he needs to act convincingly especially when he's in front of him. "Chanyeol just wants me to pursue my passion away from the limelight of his success. He wants me to be with my adoptive family too."

Mr. Jang nods, his eyes lingering on Baekhyun. "Glad to hear that he's supportive..."

"He is..." Baekhyun gulps, "he visits me...once in a while. We're good."

Why is lying about this so hard? This man may have even seen Chanyeol more recent than he did. Baekhyun can't believe he's dragging him to this now.

"I hope to see him here one day." Mr. Jang signals one of his guards that is waiting for him at the hotel entrance, "I really want to talk to you more but I'm afraid my doctor is waiting for me." he laughs lightly.

Baekhyun shakes his head with the same forced smile, "It's fine. I'm glad I had the chance to talk to you as well, Sir. Thank you for welcoming me here." he says, trying his hardest to sound sincere.

The old man lets out a heavy sigh.

"I know it's been years...but I'm sorry about what happened to Yeongseo..."

Baekhyun keeps his smile the same, but his hands clutch the sides of his pants. He refuses to say a word when the lump in his throat becomes so painful to swallow.

"Your father...he's a great man. And it pains me that I wasn't there when a good friend of mine passed away." no matter how warm his smile and soft his gaze, Baekhyun feels something rushing through him. His hands move to his pockets as they ball into fists.

The last thing he wants to hear from the man in front of him is the name of his father.

He smiles and looks at the floor, trying to conceal his gritting teeth.

Mr. Jang taps his arm, "I know he's proud of what you've become."

Baekhyun looks at him, straight into his eyes. Mr. Jang's smile fades because of his stare. His hand is eventually pulled away.

And then Baekhyun smiles again.

"Thank you, Sir." the man still looks bewildered from the expression he had a while ago. Baekhyun glances behind him and points at the few guards walking to them, "I think they're ready now. I'll be heading back to the kitchen too."

Mr. Jang slowly nods, "I'll see you again, Baekhyun-ah."

Baekhyun watches him, surrounded by guards as he leaves the hotel. His chest is heaving. Everything was harder to control than he thought.

And what he's risking right now is his passion. For this job and for this place. He needs to endure it again. He has to.

Baekhyun comes home, exhausted from everything that happened and his job altogether. It's still halfway of the day, since he had an early morning shift. He pushes the bike beside their door before heading inside to the sound of his mother and sister mumbling incoherently.

"—think he should know?"

"I don't think so...you're not even sure yet..."

"—ut he's already in the programme..."

Baekhyun looks at them from the door, "What's going on?"

Yeri straightens up, eyes slightly widening when she saw him. She runs back to her room with a paper in her hands. Mrs. Ahn parts her mouth to speak but only cringes with her daughter's act.

Baekhyun blinks in confusion.

"Eomma?"

"Yeri is having graduation jitters, that's all." she shrugs nonchalantly before going back to her chore.

"That...dumb." Baekhyun walks towards her to kiss her cheek, "Is everything ready though? Her dress?"

"Of course. She's graduating with honors and she wants to show off."

"Good! Because I bought a good outfit too!" Baekhyun beams that got his mother staring at him, "What? I'm going with her, right?"

Mrs. Ahn nods quickly, looking away as if she realizes something. "Course you are. Go away and iron your clothes. I'll finish this for the small celebration tomorrow."

Baekhyun pouts a little, "I'm going to Appa first. Yeri is being like that because she hasn't visited him for a while so I'll do it for her. She's being cursed." he grins.

His mother shrugs without looking at him, "Fine...whatever. Bring white tulips."

He hears a frustrated groan from Yeri inside her room but when he knocks to check up on her, she doesn't respond.

His sister seems so doomed for someone who's graduating for honors. Baekhyun didn't even have honors when he graduated years ago, yet he felt like floating in excitement. He doesn't get what she's nervous for.

Oh well.

Baekhyun bought a few bouquets of white tulips on his way to the cemetery. He didn't bring his bike and chose to walk instead. The sun is about to set but it's still bright outside, just perfect for him to walk alone. In a short time, he reaches the cemetery near their village. Despite the identical graves, Baekhyun knows where to go. He places one of the baskets of flowers on his father's place. He lets out a heavy sigh while he roams his gaze around. The cemetery is almost empty today.

He sits down. There's a slight pinch in his heart, but it's nothing he can't manage with a smile.

"Appa, Yeri's graduating tomorrow." he says with a small curve on his lips, "Time flies so fast, doesn't it? I remember when you made her kneel on small peas and told her she will never finish school because of her laziness..." he laughs with the memory, "Ah...look how wrong you were. She's still a bit lazy, but finishing college now with honors. I bet she'd brag it to you the most if you're still here."

The smile on his lips becomes a sad one.

"I wish...you're still here." he mumbles, "Everything could've gone different. I miss you everyday, Appa."

Baekhyun gulps when he feels the warmth in his eyes.

"And I'm sorry...I know you know that it's not only you who I think about whenever I go here..." he tries to blink it away, "but it's my only chance. I miss my other father too...and I can only say it to you because I know you'd understand."

He quickly wipes the tear that escaped his eye.

"I don't understand...I will never understand why you both had to be taken away from me." he sniffs, "Please tell him that I miss him so much...and that I love him. And I'm sorry for failing as his son."

Baekhyun pauses and the wind blows a little harshly against him. He looks around, eyes still slightly wet. But the breeze is once again gentle. He wipes his face before looking back in front, the bright smile is back on his face.

He offers a silence, and then proceeds into telling happy stories about the recent happenings in home and work. Baekhyun had always told his adoptive father everything when he was alive, and nothing changed even when he's gone. Through this, he's able to feel that he's here, with them. He can perfectly picture his reactions to his stories despite how repetitive they are.

The sun has completely set when he finished. He stood up and bid his goodbye to his father before walking away. But instead of taking the route he took earlier, he goes to the other corner, familiar to the way like how he is with his father's grave.

Baekhyun smiles when he finally reaches two graves beside each other. He places the remaining bouquet of tulips he bought. He stares at the names of the people that are equally special to his heart. The ones that he used to thank every morning of his life.

And maybe he still does.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Park." Baekhyun notices that the graves are slightly covered with leaves and grass now so he squats and cleans them, just enough for their names to be readable.

Whatever happened, Baekhyun still sees them as second parents. He can't visit his father without dropping by here as well. The couple barely even has someone to visit them aside from the maintenance staffs and their house keepers.

Baekhyun can't imagine how lonely they must be.

Silence consumes him, he doesn't know what to tell them anymore as if they're in front of him anticipating his words.

Ironic how he used to tell a lot whenever he visited here years ago. Stories full of enthusiasm, now he can barely say anything.

He smiles timidly, "I brought...I...hope you like the flowers..." he says, "I won't stay for too long. I just dropped by to say hi."

Standing up, he gulps before continuing.

"I'm sorry...if I can't tell you too much...I don't know anything as well." he says sheepishly, "But I heard he's doing so great now...so I guess you don't have to worry." he slowly nods, "I hope you're doing fine there..."

Baekhyun shivers when the wind blows again. He looks up to the faint-lighted sky. Everything seems to become even more silent as if it wasn't quiet enough a while ago.

His forehead creases. Something suddenly feels bizarre, but instead of scaring himself, Baekhyun only shakes his head.

"You're happy?" he asks them while the wind gently blows his hair, "That's good..."

He smiles and bids them goodbye too. It's getting late and there's no one here except him and a car from the distance. Baekhyun walks away before someone dead decides to scare the shit out of him.

Tomorrow's going to be a long day.

x

"Take one more picture!" Baekhyun hastily scratches the back of his head while frowning, "One more!"

"Eomma, we're late!"

"You're overreacting!" his mother says while giving the camera back to their neighbor, "One more so I can have it framed on the wall!"

Their neighbor takes another picture of them before they could finally go out of the house. Their neighbors are outside, congratulating Yeri, who looks a little constipated. Baekhyun nudges her every now and then because her face looks funny.

"Aw!" Yeri shrieks when he nudges her harder, "What's that for?!"

"You look stupid. Loosen up!" Baekhyun teases as they wait for the rental car to arrive. Yeri only frowns at him. Baekhyun shakes his head before motioning his palm, "Give me the program list."

His sister stares at him.

"Why..."

"What _why? _I want to see it!"

She frantically shakes her head, "L-Later!"

Baekhyun lightly smacks her head, "How am I supposed to know the flow of the ceremony?!"

"I'll instruct you when we're there!" she stomps away from him. Baekhyun watches her in confusion, he can't figure out what's going on with his sister.

"Eomma, look at Yeri!"

His mother blinks from watching their little fight and proceeds to fixing her things before shoving them to Baekhyun, "_Aish_...give her a break, will you? Now go or else you'll miss the march!" Baekhyun tries to speak but he pushes him to the car, "Go!"

Baekhyun hops inside the car and prepares himself to scold his bratty little sister but when he sees her inside, her eyes are closed as if sleeping. Baekhyun shakes her arm but she wouldn't budge.

_Damn kid knows how to escape._

In the end, he sighs and leaves her alone. So much for having a snotty kid for a sister.

The car ride was fast, and when they reached the front gate of the university, Yeri is surprisingly awake again. Baekhyun hisses and tries to speak but she hops out of the car as fast as she could.

The auditorium lobby is already filled with students and parents lining up accordingly for the march. Baekhyun looks around to look for Yeri who's suddenly missing. Though instead of his sister, he sees another familiar face.

Hanseung saw him first, as if waiting for him to be spotted by Baekhyun. When he does, the boy, who used to be a little kid, waves at him with a big smile.

Baekhyun smiles back. Hanseung's also graduating today. His attention left Baekhyun when his mother walks near him to fix his tie. Baekhyun watches them before going back to looking for Yeri but he finds her walking towards him, slightly perspiring.

"Where have you been?" Baekhyun asks, getting annoyed with his sister now. She wipes the sweat on her temple before shrugging.

"Restroom."

"Will you fix yourself? The march is about to start." Baekhyun hisses. She only nods absentmindedly before reaching for the toga and cap on Baekhyun's arm. Baekhyun holds her purse for a while, sneaking his hand in it to get the invitation and program card.

He looks at her sister whose back is facing him while she fixes her clothes. Baekhyun looks at the program list on his hand, wondering why his sister seemed so hesitant about letting him see it.

Skimming through the list, there shouldn't be anything bizarre about it. Baekhyun is about to lift his gaze back to his sister but before he could do it, his eyes finally catch a familiar name.

** _Commencement Keynote Speaker_ **

"Fuck."

"Wha—" someone grabs the paper from his hands, determined to hide it even when it's too late. "H-Hyung! I told you...l-later!"

Baekhyun gulps, "I'm going home..."

"You can't!" Yeri heaves in frustration, "This is why I didn't want to tell you!"

"Yeri, I'm not fucking kidding." he says through gritted teeth.

"I swear I was shocked too! Hyung!"

They were cut off by the loud speaker in the lobby, instructing them to go to their respective places in line. Baekhyun looks at his sister who's staring at him with hope.

Now his heart is beating uncontrollably fast.

Baekhyun clenches his jaw and turns away.

"Baekhyung...please!" Yeri tugs his arm while shaking her head when he made attempts on leaving. She tries to keep her voice down, just to prevent drawing attention to them.

"I'm sending Eomma. Wait here."

"_Jesus,_ it's starting hyung!" Yeri stomps a foot this time, "She won't make it! Do you want me to walk there alone?!"

Baekhyun throws a sharp look at his almost hysterical sister. He tries to breathe and think of some other way. Getting the both of them worked up by this is a terrible idea.

"Keep a meter between the pair in front of you, everyone! I repeat: keep a meter away!" an instructor shouts, and they can hear the voices from the auditorium. It's already starting and Baekhyun is silently losing his shit.

It's almost their turn so Yeri wraps her hand around his arm, both of them slightly panting.

"I can't believe you put me up to this."

"He won't see you, okay? There's a lot of people here." Yeri mumbles while they're walking.

Baekhyun isn't anywhere near comforted. He doesn't even know if the person he's trying to hide from is already here. _Maybe he won't make it. _Baekhyun tries to make himself feel better. _He's a busy man after all._

Yeri being an honor student didn't even make his life easier. Students in the honor roll are in front of the bunch and that includes their guardians. Baekhyun had to keep his head down all the time, avoiding anyone's gaze. If it wasn't for Yeri who nudged him to look in front for the picture taking, he would've covered his face the rest of the time.

What did he get himself into?

When everyone settled down, Baekhyun finds the courage to subtly look around the auditorium. He bites his lip and uneasily sits on his chair. Yeri looks at him every now and then, especially when there's someone to be introduced that always turns out to be not _him._

"Get your shit together, hyung." Yeri hisses under her breath when Baekhyun shifts on his seat again, making the parent beside them look at him. "I haven't seen him yet. Maybe he cancelled last minute or sent a representative. You know big businessmen never do graduation speeches."

"I swear to god, Yeri." Baekhyun breathes, "This will be the last time you pull this shit on me. I'm not even taking photos of you there." he whispers angrily, "And I'm not staying after this! I'll go straight home."

"Sshh. It's my graduation...positive vibes only." she smiles and gets into Baekhyun's nerves even more.

"Before we proceed to the graduation rites, it's an honor to introduce our honorable speaker today..." the emcee says with a wide smile, "he went here straight from Seoul just to be our keynote speaker for this commencement exercise."

The crowd becomes silent, drawn by too much interest on the person no one there hasn't heard of.

"He's a widely renowned magnate in the business industry, handling the biggest companies in Asia, and even the world." she smiles at the side of the stage before continuing, "We need no lengthy introduction for him today. He's one of the biggest pride of this town...and we are very lucky to have been granted with his presence."

Breath hitching with every word, Baekhyun keeps his eyes down, sinking himself lower on his seat. The few words he heard made the truth even more vivid to him. He was reminded why they never matched in the first place.

His hands feel cold so he crosses his arms over his chest. _He's not watching this._

"Ladies and gentlemen, the CEO and President of Flair Industries and BEPE..." she nods once, "Mr. Park Chanyeol."

There's a strong round of applause for him. Baekhyun claps too just to get along with the crowd. But even the way he does it and the fact that his head is the only one down make his sister look at him ridiculously.

"You don't have to clap you know..." Yeri taunts at him, opposed to her unusual and distraught self earlier, she's recovered and is back to being a complete brat. "Aigoo. Look how handsome Chanyeol-hyung is..."

She coos and Baekhyun glares at her even more. She only chuckles and goes back to looking in front like everyone else.

"Good afternoon." a deep voice resonated around the hall, "Thank you very much for having me."

Baekhyun exhales heavily when he hears the voice he hasn't heard for so long. It's exactly the same as how he remembers it. And it's alarming how he always forget to breathe every time, until now.

It wasn't supposed to be this fast. He needed time. And he also thought he'll be able to avoid him for good. That's why he finds it hard to look right now. But realization hits him hard. He can never successfully move on if he always decides to avoid and escape. He has to face it eventually.

"Many of you might not know..." he starts off, "I was born and raised in this place. Maybe some of the parents here recognize me as the kid who ran around the capitol and wheat fields because I didn't want to take a bath." he smiles when the crowd laughs.

Baekhyun finally gained the courage to look at him, and it was hard to keep himself casual nor sane. He hasn't seen him for two years yet it feels like forever.

Chanyeol brightly smiles at the crowd while he continues to speak. Baekhyun's suddenly deaf. He can only watch him, the words failing to make sense in his mind. Chanyeol looks so different. He has the same aura of authority, oozing confidence and dashing looks. But he feels like a different person.

Is it about his hair? Or his more mature look? Baekhyun doesn't dare to point out. All he knows is that looking at him now feels so light. He can tell his smiles are genuine, and the people around him find them contagious as they do the same.

Baekhyun finds himself smiling a little, despite a pang in his chest. God knows how much he wanted to see this smile when he was trying to fix him. And now Chanyeol does it when he's not there anymore, yet it doesn't seem to matter.

"Okay...I've been blabbering too much. It's enough." he chuckles after the crowd laughed with his joke again, "No matter how cliché it must sound, my advice for all the students and people in this room is to always go for it. Set your heart as the limit."

He pauses and roams his gaze around the room. Baekhyun might've just sunk his head even lower.

"Ask yourself if that's what you really want." he says, "Set your priorities, and be willing to give up things for them."

Chanyeol takes a moment before continuing.

"It was my mistake before. And I don't want any of you repeating it. Listen, it may grant you two big companies and a whole lot of money." the students coo with this, "But are you really happy about it? Or you just lost the most important thing in your life?"

The crowd becomes more silent. Baekhyun watches him intently.

"Ask yourself, is it worth it?" he asks while still smiling, "Because if it's not, then what's the point?"

Chanyeol nods at them.

"Go for something or someone you really want. Only stop when you're sure that it's not what your heart wants anymore."

The speech finished and Baekhyun didn't bother standing up when everyone did. His knees were too weak. Yeri seriously looks at him while applauding for Chanyeol when he finished.

The awarding comes next and he's already drained to continue. But when he sees Chanyeol walking back to the stage to congratulate the awardees, he becomes too focused on it.

Baekhyun intently watches as his sister steps on the stage with a big smile. Chanyeol looks at her and his smile fades a little. Baekhyun looks at his every reaction until Yeri reaches the center of the stage to shake his hand. He leans straight on the back of his chair, watching his sister's proud moment. He sees Chanyeol murmuring something to her in which she responded with a nod and smile. When Yeri stands in front, she waves happily to where Baekhyun is.

And even when Baekhyun expected it, his heart still skips a beat when Chanyeol's gaze follows where she's waving at. Their eyes meet. Both of their smiles fade and before he even combust right there, Baekhyun looks away.

He tries to smile at his sister, despite feeling a pair of eyes on him.

The ceremony took longer than the usual. Baekhyun barely saw Chanyeol anymore. He didn't know where he's seated, he didn't pay attention to it in the first place.

"Let's go home." Baekhyun exhaustedly tells Yeri when the commencement wrapped up.

"Eeeeh, can I just take photos with my classmates for a while? Please, hyung?"

Baekhyun lets out a heavy sigh and stands on the corner while waiting for his sister to finish. The people are still there as well. Looking at it, he's the only one motionless on his place.

He hears a squeal near him and sees Hanseung walking past Yeri's classmates. Well not just him because Chanyeol's behind him. The students giggle while looking at Chanyeol beside their schoolmate. Baekhyun straightens up from where he is.

"Congrats, guys!" Hanseung gives some of them a high five. Chanyeol watches them with a small smile. Baekhyun tries to conceal his presence on the corner, "Yeri, congrats!" Hanseung taps Yeri and smiles bigger at Baekhyun.

Chanyeol blinks and realizes his presence through the side of his eyes. Although he takes a step towards Yeri and pats her arm, "Congrats again, Yeri." he says before leaving without sparing Baekhyun a glance. Hanseung uneasily looks at him before following.

There's still a trace of smile on Baekhyun's lips. Although a lump forms in his throat. He felt like an invisible wind.

"OMG! Mr. Park knows you, Yeri?"

Yeri forces a smile at her friends before looking at her brother on the corner, pretending as if nothing happened even when he's blinking rapidly and continuously gulping.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" a bunch of people welcomes them as soon as they hop out of the car. Yeri squeals in happiness, seeing her long-time friends from high school present for her celebration.

Mrs. Ahn prepared a celebration, a lot of their close neighbors are there, helping her cook. They are all happy there.

Baekhyun gulps while looking around. He remains standing on the same spot even when his sister already left his side to go to her friends. He feels out of place.

"Baekhyun-ah, come here!" he hears his mother calling for him with a trace of smile on her lips from talking to their visitors. Baekhyun blinks rapidly, trying to look as normal as he could. He walks towards where she is where some of their neighbors tease him like what they usually do.

"How's being a guardian, Baekhyun?"

"Ah...looking like a businessman, huh?"

"Help me carry this to the table." she tells him and he only nods. The smile on Mrs. Ahn's face fades off. She watches her son's fallen expression while he does what she told him. The jokes stop when they obviously notice it as well.

"Baekhyun-ah..." she gently touches his arm when he finished, "are you okay?"

Baekhyun doesn't try to pretend anymore. He mindlessly nods without smiling. When he looks at his mother's worried eyes, he gulps again.

"I'm just tired...Eomma." he weakly mumbles, "I'll just go to my room."

He doesn't wait for her response. He knows she'd let him. She's always aware of everything. Baekhyun honestly feels bad for spoiling the night for her. His mother will worry about him throughout the celebration, there's no doubt about that.

Laying on his back while he stares at the ceiling, Baekhyun wishes he could've tried harder for them. He should've not let these emotions get in the way. It was supposed to be a happy day for their family, but he just had to ruin it.

He expected the exact outcome. But why does it feel like his heart isn't satisfied at all? Like it was yearning for a different thing to happen.

_This stupid heart again._

He closes his eyes, hoping he could just sleep it away. But the thing only keeps repeating in his mind.

Fine then. He'll let himself feel like this, just for tonight. _It's fine, Baek. It's normal. You saw him again after a long time without closure. The pain should still be there._

After this, it's never going to bother him like this again.

Baekhyun never wanted to be selfish. He never wanted to be that kind of person. He pushed Chanyeol away, and let him go. Accustomed with that should be his right to be happy too. If going far from him was his way to move on, then maybe pretending they don't know each other would be Chanyeol's way. If he hasn't...moved on.

If Jongdae was right that Chanyeol's finally dating, then good for him.

If Chanyeol asks him for a divorce to completely part ways, then he'll gladly oblige.

That has always been what Baekhyun tells himself through the years they're apart. Through the nights when he thought about him before he slept.

Don't be selfish, and let him be happy. In that way, you'll be happy too.

Baekhyun grits his teeth hard and clutches his blanket closer to him.

_Endure it, Baek. You should not be selfish, remember._

He falls asleep after repeating the same thing over and over again. When he wakes up, the feeling is still there, but the sound of karaoke and happy yelling are gone. He's in the exact same position too, so he looks up to his clock. It's past midnight and the party might've just ended.

Baekhyun stands up from his bed, deciding which among his head, eyes or heart feels the heaviest. In the end, it's an obvious answer to an obvious question. He walks out of his room to drink water.

"Eomma, why are you still awake?" he clicks his tongue when he sees his mother fixing the things in the kitchen and the other waste from the celebration, "I'll do that..."

His mother wearily smiles at him, "Don't bother...it's almost done." she tells him and continues to wash the dishes.

Baekhyun spaces out before proceeding to get himself a glass of water. It's already quiet around the neighborhood since it's late.

His mother stands in front of him while Baekhyun leans on the kitchen sink. He grips the glass in his hand while his mother wipes her hand, watching him.

"You saw Chanyeol?"

He looks at his glass and nods in response.

"He saw you?"

Baekhyun's too conflicted just by the question. He ends up shrugging before nodding again.

"And he talked to you?" Baekhyun looks at her before shaking his head. He doesn't know why she's so hopeful about this when they obviously wouldn't do that.

"There's no time." Baekhyun points out, "And...I think he's in a hurry too. Maybe he needed to go home right after the event."

His mother slowly nods, although Baekhyun can see the small curve on her lips. He knows her too well and what she means but he chooses to dismiss it this time.

"And how do you feel?"

But her question isn't one of the things he expected. He doesn't know. How does he feel, really?

Mrs. Ahn tilts her head while waiting for him. Baekhyun smiles with a shrug.

"Okay?" he says, chuckling with his unsure tone. "Just a little lonely...but I'm okay."

She smiles, "Just saying lonely is enough, honey. You don't have to sugarcoat it for me."

He gulps.

"It's for me, Eomma...I'm trying to sugarcoat it for me." he chuckles again.

She sighs and her smile is still the same. She pulls him closer and hugs him gently.

"You're sad, and it's normal." she says and pulls away, "You miss him, and it's normal Baekhyun."

Baekhyun stares at her, grasping her hands tightly.

"Don't worry. There's nothing to be ashamed about it." she assures him and lets go of his hand.

"Take the trash out, then go back to sleep, okay? We still have a lot to fix tomorrow."

He nods and receives a goodnight kiss from her. Baekhyun finishes another glass of water while diving into his sea of thoughts. When he's done, he ties the end of the trash bag and carries it outside.

Opposed to its warm temperature in the day, the province is breezily cold at night. Baekhyun went out with only his thin shirt and pajamas, walking outside the gate to take the trash to the bin. He's too preoccupied to even notice a car parked right at the side of the street.

Baekhyun tries to let the heaviness out of his chest. He closes his eyes and tries to breathe, no matter how useless it may be because he's in front of a damn trash bin. He hugs himself from the cold air blowing and lets countless of thoughts along with his mother's words be settled in his mind. And then he hears a thump from a door closing that disturbed his peaceful pondering. Baekhyun flinches and opens his eyes, looking at the source of the noise. He was ready to scare himself with the thought of horror scenarios but what he saw is actually a lot scarier than them.

_Who_ he saw.

Chanyeol stares at him, as if watching him all throughout the moment he was having a while ago. Now he's walking towards him with his slow yet big steps. Baekhyun can feel his knees wobbling.

All the thoughts he was trying to organize in his mind became incoherent once again.

And how? How, Chanyeol? How could you mess him up just like that?

"Hi, Baek."

Baekhyun doesn't say a word. He only looks up at his face, eyes warm and glassy.

"It's been a while..." Chanyeol breathes through a smile, but his eyes are equally glistening. "how are you?"

His mother may be right, _partly. _Because this will never be normal. It feels like his heart's about to jump off his chest, intensely hurting because he missed him so much. _So much._

How is this normal?


	22. 21-Games

_What now? Speak, Baekhyun._

Chanyeol stares at him, a trace of hope in his eyes. Baekhyun remains motionless on his spot.

And then he clears his throat as he looks away.

"F-Fine..." he exhales heavily, "What are you doing here? It's late."

The beating of his heart is still alarmingly frantic. Baekhyun can feel it up to his throat. Despite having a meter of space between them, he feels like running away just to calm himself down.

Chanyeol smiles a little.

"I...was just hoping to see you." he says and Baekhyun needed to keep his face blank, "Can we talk for a while?"

Baekhyun stares straight into his eyes, his jaw hardening.

"What for?" his voice his cold. Chanyeol's expression falls and his eyes move to the ground. "What do we need to talk about? Weren't you in a hurry a while ago? You walked past me, right?"

He doesn't know why his tone sounded that way. He only realized what he did when Chanyeol lifts his gaze back at him, eyes slightly widening.

Baekhyun can't even control his damn mouth, "What?" he hisses.

Chanyeol's lips curve into a smile, making Baekhyun frown even more. _What the hell is funny?_

Chanyeol purses his lips instead to conceal his grin.

"I thought you didn't want anyone to see us." Baekhyun raises his brows, "I'm sorry...I didn't want to approach you that fast."

Baekhyun inhales deeply as he crosses his arms, maintaining a straight face.

"It's not like it mattered." he shrugs, "Go home, it's late." he says, "Or maybe go back to Seoul. It's a long trip."

Chanyeol smiles timidly, "I'm not going back yet."

Baekhyun's face softens.

"What?"

"I'm...in a vacation."

The shorter chuckles, "Vacation? Here?"

Chanyeol stands up straight, his hands sneaking their way into his pockets. "Yes, here." his eyes linger on Baekhyun, "I need to fix something."

The curve on Baekhyun's lips fades. He clears his throat, "G-Good for you...I'm going back inside."

He turns away without hesitation.

"Wait."

And in an instant, he faces him once again too.

Baekhyun's chest heaves beneath his crossed arms. He doesn't know Chanyeol's agenda. And if anything, he doesn't want to figure it out.

From what he remembers, he doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.

"Go home, Chanyeol."

"How much time do you still need?"

Baekhyun gulps. He remains staring at Chanyeol because of his question, unable to say anything.

Why is he doing this to him? Isn't he conflicted enough?

Chanyeol sighs in frustration, his eyes say a lot and Baekhyun hates how they plead him effortlessly.

"Do you still need more?" he asks, clearing his throat when his voice cracks, "Because I'll wait. Just tell me and I'll wait for you, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun needed to look away from his eyes, his jaw clenching. He should've gone back inside. He should've never went out.

"What's so hard...to understand from the things I told you when we last talked, Chanyeol?" he says exasperatedly, "I told you it's over. I told you I don't want it anymore."

"And you didn't mean it."

Baekhyun chuckles in sarcasm, but he walks back and forth, his fingers running through his hair in so much frustration.

"I made myself clear! I've been trying to be fine for the past two years and now here you are! You've got the nerve to just show up and tell me that? Did you even take my words seriously that night, Chanyeol?"

Chanyeol sadly smiles.

"Maybe now I don't."

Baekhyun sighs in defeat. He looks at Chanyeol in disbelief.

"Now that you're telling me you were just trying to be fine while we're apart, and now that I'm seeing it myself. You're still not fine, Baek. And it's not because you were trying to forget me."

Chanyeol's gaze doesn't leave him, even when Baekhyun's already looking so conflicted, yet isn't able to utter any word to retaliate.

"I remember every word you said." Chanyeol gulps, "They never left my mind. I remember them perfectly, and I understood them. That's why I gave you what I thought you needed." he then slowly shakes his head, "The time and space to heal."

Baekhyun stares at him with his glistening eyes and Chanyeol is even more driven to continue.

"And it's not an ultimatum. I realized I needed them too as much as you did, and they helped me heal as well." he sniffs and exhales deeply, "But more than anything else...I-I just need you to come back to me."

He harshly wipes the tears that stream down his cheeks. Chanyeol takes a step towards him because of this but Baekhyun steps back. It made him stop and pull his hand back that was about to reach for him.

"Take all the time you need, Baek." Chanyeol mumbles weakly, "No matter how long, I can wait."

Baekhyun breathes heavily, "I didn't tell you to wait for me." he says sharply, voice filled with conviction despite his eyes pooling with tears. Chanyeol shakes his head again.

"You didn't need to." his gaze remains soft despite the pain and Baekhyun hates it even more, "You never have to tell me. When I asked you that night if you didn't want to love me anymore and you refused to answer, I knew I was more than willing to wait for you...no matter how long it takes me."

Baekhyun refuses to look at him straight anymore. He shakes his head with finality, wiping his face dry before looking coldly onto his shoulder instead.

"Enough." he says hoarsely, "I s-said what I said, Chanyeol. It's over and I don't care how you interpret my words but I meant it."

Chanyeol only looks at him calmly, opposed to him whose shoulders are now heaving.

"I don't want to see you...or talk to you again. Don't try t-to see me anymore or just..." he tries to finish his words but ends up swallowing them, "I-I'm tired. I'm going back inside."

The taller looks down on the ground, subtly gulping the painful lump in his throat before lifting his gaze back at him while flashing a small smile.

"Okay...good night, Baek."

Baekhyun grits his teeth hard and quickly turns away, partly running back inside the house. He doesn't look back to where Chanyeol is standing. When he steps inside, he slowly pushes the door close, leaning on it while shutting his eyes tight as his lip quiver.

_Okay then._

When Baekhyun finally wiped his face dry with the back of his hands, he slightly parts the curtain and checks on Chanyeol through the window. He bites his lip, watching his husband standing on the same spot. His hands are in his pocket while his head droops down as he stares at the ground, his foot weakly fiddling against it. Right then, he pulls his hand from his pocket to wipe his eyes.

Tilting his head up, he looks toward the direction of the window. Baekhyun slightly leans back to hide, he reaches for the switch of the light to turn it off. Right then, he hears the engine of his car and the silence afterwards.

The last time Baekhyun cried himself to sleep was over a year ago.  
  


x

Kyungsoo's already standing in the middle of the kitchen when Baekhyun arrives, both hands placed on his waist as he intently looks at each of the junior chefs. His late arrival didn't go unnoticed to the now grumpy guy, moving his sharp look at him before walking closer.

"Well excuse me," Baekhyun hears him say while he rushes into putting his apron on, "how convenient of you to arrive thirty minutes after the buffet opens."

Baekhyun only glances at him wearily, he barely slept again the night before so he's not in the mood to talk.

"Not now, please Kyungsoo?" he snaps exhaustedly.

He hears him chuckling in disbelief, "Well sorry, your highness. But I actually had to do the briefing for your junior chefs who seem to be clueless about a thing in the kitchen. If you don't mind, I'm busy with my own chefs and I'd like you to stop making me shoulder your job whenever you feel like being unpunctual." he says continuously that made Baekhyun look at him.

He lets out a heavy sigh. Kyungsoo's obviously equally grumpy as he is so like any other situation, Baekhyun has to compromise.

"Fine. Sorry Soo." he rubs his forehead, "I'll make it up to you."

"Don't bother." the other said in a sarcastic tone, "Just do your job because I refuse to cover up for you when you just repay me like this." he smiles and walks away before Baekhyun can even open his mouth.

Kyungsoo isn't that far yet when their manager comes in the kitchen, walking towards Baekhyun specifically.

Baekhyun gulps and he sees Kyungsoo looking back at them before shaking his head.

"Hey Soo, go outside. Your staff said a guest has a special request." their manager said and Kyungsoo even rolled his eyes subtly before going out as told. The man looks at Baekhyun this time, "Late again, Byun?"

"Sorry, Boss. I just overslept..." he mumbles in shame, hands clasped in front. "It'll never happen again...promise. Sorry."

Brows raising with his immediate apology, his manager lets out a sigh before laughing lightly.

"No worries, Baek." he chuckles, "You know it's never a problem to me. I just don't know about Kyungsoo though...wait isn't he back yet?" he looks around but Baekhyun remains staring at him seriously.

"Thank you, Boss."

"You're one of the best chefs here, if not the best. Punctuality is never an issue to me since I know how talented you are." he smiles but something really bothers Baekhyun.

"Really?" Baekhyun looks at him intently, "Did you hire me because of my talent, Sir?"

_"No worries, Mr. Byun."_

If Baekhyun remembers it right, he heard his name that night. That night almost two years ago when they were supposedly meeting for the first time. He held onto his promise because he badly needed a job. But realizing it now, why did it seem like they've been expecting him even from the start?

Talent, really?

His manager looks at him in confusion. "Of course..." he blinks rapidly when he sees the chef's serious eyes on him, "I mean...isn't that right?"

Day by day, things are slowly dawning upon him. He's not certain about most of them, but if there's one thing he's sure of; it is that not everything is purely coincidental.

Baekhyun smiles and shakes his head, "Nothing. Thanks for the compliment though, Boss." he says, yet the man's curious gaze lingers on him. Fortunately, grumpy Kyungsoo comes back to disrupt their conversation, though his face seems more relaxed this time. Baekhyun doesn't see the frown on it anymore.

"Chef Baekhyun, a VIP guest is complaining about your _legendary _cream puffs outside." he says, sounding a little victorious that someone's slandering Baekhyun's specialty.

Even their manager looks so astounded by this, "VIP? Is that the French woman?"

"Nope, I think he checked in Friday night." Kyungsoo shrugs while raising a brow, "He's not really impressed with your favorite chef's supposed masterpiece."

Baekhyun creases his brows, "Did he say his problem about it? Is it the taste or...?"

_Not his cream puffs._

"Probably." Kyungsoo shrugs, grinning a little. "You might want to check on your own. I have work to do."

His manager looks at him, nodding once to tell him to check. Kyungsoo butts in once again.

"He's a little cute though..." he blinks, "don't be so hard on him, hmm?" he smiles and leaves.

Baekhyun's lips gape in awe. Did Kyungsoo just...

He fixes his apron and struts his way outside. There's no way he'd let this pass. No guest ever complained about his pastries, especially his damn cream puffs.

Baekhyun asks the waiter where the VIP guest is seated. He looks at the direction he pointed and sees a man with his legs crossed coolly. He's holding a newspaper with both his hands, preventing Baekhyun to get a glimpse of his face. The chef lets out a deep sigh before walking towards him.

"Excuse me, Sir..." he clears his throat when the man seems to be unmoved by his presence, "I'm Byun Baekhyun, the head pastry chef. I believe you have complaints regarding our pastries? Can I help you?"

The man says no word. Baekhyun stupidly stands in front of him, looking around when the man doesn't answer and even had the guts to flip the page of his paper.

"Sir?"

"Well, Mr. Byun..." he freezes on his spot when he hears a familiar voice, "I have a few issues with these cream puffs you served me."

Baekhyun's face softens. He seems to be too stunned on his feet when the guest puts the newspaper back on his table before leaning back to stare at him.

"The crisp is gone, it's too soft. The color isn't pleasing too." Chanyeol clicks his tongue and fiddles the plate of pastry with his bread knife to show Baekhyun, "And the filling, how can I even eat that properly when it's that much? It's messy, Chef." he says then purses his lips as he raises his brows at Baekhyun.

Great. So Chanyeol's the VIP guest. And he's complaining about his cream puffs.

Great.

He tilts his chin up and keeps his tone casual.

"Is that everything, Sir?"

Chanyeol doesn't even glance at the cream puffs in front of him. His eyes remain on Baekhyun while his hand rubs his chin.

"It's too sweet." he shrugs then crosses his arms over his chest, "It hurts my throat."

Baekhyun glares at him, and yet Chanyeol only looks at him innocently.

"It is supposed to be sweet, Sir..." he says, smiling through gritted teeth, "it's a fucking cream puff."

"Oh...are you cursing me now?"

He had to shut his eyes tight. He's better than this. He won't lose his patience over Chanyeol's petty games.

With a heavy sigh, he forces a smile at him. "I apologize Sir...maybe our junior chef didn't follow my usual recipe."

Chanyeol's lips protruded. He clicks his tongue and slowly shakes his head.

"My morning is spoiled."

Baekhyun's expression is now unreadable. He's slightly ashamed, being watched by the people around who all seem to recognize Chanyeol's face.

He clears his throat again.

"Allow me to compromise, Sir. What pastry would you like us to replace these cream puffs with?"

His jaw clenches when Chanyeol narrows his eyes, faking a torn expression. He can't believe what Kyungsoo just said. He's not cute. He's a pest and Baekhyun's not going to be fucking nice to him.

If it wasn't for his job.

"I was told you make good cream puffs here but...why now..." Chanyeol says, completely ignoring his question.

"It is my specialty, but the junior chefs are in charge of making all the pastries in breakfast buffet..." _idiot. _"...Sir."

Chanyeol smiles victoriously, "Alright, I want the cream puffs you make then."

Baekhyun's lips are now pursed into thin line. He's getting into his nerves and he has to remind himself he's in his workplace and they're surrounded by so many people so smacking the shit out of his head is not the best idea.

To be safe, Baekhyun puts both his hands behind him. Chanyeol looks at them before gazing back at his forced smile. He doesn't even budge.

"We do pastries in batches, Sir. And if you didn't like this one, then what I'll make won't make any difference since it's my recipe." _that you insulted. _"How about our macaroons? Or Cheesecake?"

Chanyeol leans exasperatedly on his chair, looking more serious. "I thought you'll compromise?"

Baekhyun is bluntly glaring at him now. He doesn't know what plans he has in mind. He doesn't know why the hell he's here. And he doesn't understand why he's being a complete asshole right now when he was just pleading Baekhyun a few nights ago.

Out of nowhere, Kyungsoo appears beside him. "Is everything settled now, Sir?" he asks with a smile before glancing at Baekhyun.

Chanyeol shrugs, "Well...not really. But it's fine. I can just go back to my room." he sounds more professional now that there's another person around and Baekhyun is even more certain that he's only doing this to piss him off.

"Uh...Sir, wait..." Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun, hissing subtly, "Baek?"

Baekhyun looks so defeated now. Kyungsoo eyes him with threat while Chanyeol only looks serious.

"I'll make cream puffs for you, Sir." he nods once, "You can just wait here and I'll have it served immediately."

Chanyeol's brows shot up, not expecting him to give in that fast. He slowly nods and Baekhyun actually thought that his demands are over.

"Well I actually want to go back to my suite now." he stands up and towers over the both of them, "Can you just deliver it there?"

Baekhyun gulps, "I'll ask the waiter to deliver it to you. What else do you want? Coffee?" he asks continuously, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh okay...but if I still don't like the cream puffs, then I'll just have him tell you to repeat them again?"

Baekhyun huffs. He looks at Kyungsoo beside him, partly expecting him to help him right now but like what he expected, his friend is only looking at Chanyeol.

Yeah, like Chanyeol would stop pestering him if he doesn't deliver it personally. He'd probably get all the chefs and waiters fired until Baekhyun's finally the only one available to do it all.

_Fuck him, seriously. _Once an asshole, always an asshole.

"Okay, I'll deliver it personally." Baekhyun smiles and Chanyeol looks like he won by the way the side of his lips curved.

"Right. 28th floor, by the way." he smiles boyishly and he must've just heard someone around gasp, "Thanks, Chefs."

He hears Kyungsoo letting out a sigh of awe beside him when the businessman starts walking away.

"Anything else, Sir?" Baekhyun sarcastically adds before he could get farther. Chanyeol's probably looking for a personal maid and he happened to bump into his husband, "Tea? Coffee? Wine? Anything else you'd like me to deliver?"

Chanyeol turns around, his brow is raised while his hand is kept in his pocket.

He grins.

"Well you can bring a coffee for you if you like. Or do you prefer tea?" Chanyeol nods once, "Add it up to my bill."

Baekhyun gulps. His question hits him back unexpectedly, "No thank you, Sir."

He hates the satisfaction on Chanyeol's face as if he's not giving him a hard time.

"Alright. Water's fine for me." Chanyeol says, "Like I said, those cream puffs are too sweet."

He already left and Baekhyun remains on the same spot, jaw hardening because of the situation he just got himself into. Chanyeol really gets everything he wants and Baekhyun hates it.

It took him a while to realize that Kyungsoo's still beside him too.

"Was he flirting?" Baekhyun gulps and wasn't able to respond immediately. Kyungsoo shrugs right then, "Hmm, probably not. If he was, then he'd probably flirt with me."

_That sounds better, _"Probably." Baekhyun weakly mumbles and rushes his way back to the kitchen. He'll finish this once and for all.

The cart has been in front of the same door for a few minutes now. Baekhyun remains standing behind it, not knowing what to do next. He's gulping every now and then, practicing words that will guarantee he won't have to stay too long.

_Why are you even thinking of staying for a while? You're just delivering._

His hand finds its way to the doorbell. Baekhyun grips tighter on the cart, waiting for the door to open. He hears footsteps inside so he tries to maintain a blank expression. Right then, the door opens, showing Chanyeol who already changed clothes and is now wearing a workout short and a black tank top.

Baekhyun's eyes lingered on his arms.

Then he snaps out of it when he hears Chanyeol clearing his throat. He sees him raising his brows at him for being unresponsive.

"W-Well..." Baekhyun pauses when he stuttered, making sure his eyes stay on the goddamn food instead. "Here are the cream puffs you ordered."

Chanyeol crosses his arms, and the way they flexed made Baekhyun want to slap himself for glancing at them again. The taller looks at the cart then back to him.

"Did you make that?"

"Yes." Baekhyun nods while keeping a stoic face.

_Don't look at his arms. Please stop._

Baekhyun roams his gaze around but him.

"Well?" Chanyeol asks impatiently before opening the door wider, waiting for him to push it inside.

"Can you just...get the plate?" Baekhyun is bewildered why he still has to come inside when the plate is not that hard to take.

Chanyeol shrugs nonchalantly, "I still need to taste it." he says, "Or do you want me to eat it right there in the hallway?"

Subtly rolling his eyes, Baekhyun is left with no choice but to comply. A few guests are passing by so he doesn't want to make a scene.

Baekhyun has a clear plan of getting the cart inside then immediately stepping out. But as soon as he enters the room, he hears the door closing and being locked.

His heart is suddenly beating frantically. He turns around, blinking rapidly when he sees Chanyeol leaning on the door.

"I-I'm going out..."

The taller purses his lips to conceal a sly smile.

"Already?" he leans forward, too close to Baekhyun even. Turns out he just reached for a cream puff from the cart behind him, still blocking the door as he takes a bite. "Aren't you supposed to wait for a guest's feedback?"

Baekhyun throws him a sharp look. But like before, Chanyeol dismisses it and continues to devour the bread. His eyes are locked on Baekhyun until he finishes it and the shorter just had to accept his defeat and look somewhere else.

He licks his finger, flashing an impressed expression.

"Now that you obviously like it, can I leave?" Baekhyun sighs in annoyance, "You're freaking me out, you know that?"

Chanyeol laughs because of this, and something might've just floated in Baekhyun's chest.

"I can see how it affects you..." Chanyeol shakes his head, "it's still too sweet, by the way."

"Then next time, order a bun and salt." he hisses but his brave façade soon fades when Chanyeol pulls his arm. Baekhyun looks up to his face inches away. He tries to pull his hand harshly but the grip around it is too strong.

"You've been too focused on making these..." Chanyeol's deep mumble made him shiver. He can hear his breath close to him before he feels his thumb wiping his left cheek, down to his jaw. Baekhyun's breath hitched.

He looks up and meets Chanyeol's eyes, his brows slightly creased.

"Flour." Chanyeol whispers and shows him his thumb.

Baekhyun pulls his arm away, wiping his face with his own hand. His heart is beating too fast and his chest is about to burst.

"What are you even doing here?" Baekhyun asks, partly to divert the topic and let himself recover, "You have a huge mansion, don't you? Why are you staying in a hotel?"

This doesn't urge Chanyeol to leave the door as he even leans back on it before answering his question.

"I prefer hotels." he's obviously lying and Baekhyun had to snort at it, "I feel like a tourist. I like it."

Baekhyun scoffs, "Or you just really want to follow and pester me, right?"

Chanyeol grins and doesn't even look offended by it.

"Yeah, that too." he doesn't even deny it.

Baekhyun cannot believe it. No matter how pissed he is, something in his chest feels like being pinched when realization hits him. Chanyeol is acting like his usual self; the overly confident guy flashing the most boyish smile that completed his youth. The one before all the chaos that happened. He's not used to it anymore, especially when he has no right to feel happy about it when he already decided to remove him from his life not so long ago.

Why did he have to lose everything first before he gets this person back in front of him, where he already has to do nothing but push him away?

It was noticed by Chanyeol and the grin on his face falters.

"What's wrong?"

Baekhyun blinks before shaking his head.

"So what now? You're planning to disturb me from my job every day?" Baekhyun heaves deeply, "I'm not up for your petty games, Chanyeol."

"Who says this is a game?"

"If you're here to bother me then you've succeeded. Now will you stop and let me work peacefully? This is what you came for? Seeing me worked up over this?" Baekhyun asks through gritted teeth.

Chanyeol tilts his head, a small smile curving on his lips.

"I'm simply here to get you back."

Baekhyun frowns even more, but it doesn't change the fact that his hands feel a lot colder than how they should be.

"Sh—j-just..." now his mouth ramble, "Shut up! This isn't funny anymore!"

"Well it's not supposed to." Chanyeol shrugs with the same smile, "I have no intention to bother you or anyone. I just have to get one job done."

"I told you that I don't want you to wait for me anymore! I'm not coming back to Seoul—or to you. You asked me, didn't you? I told you it's over, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol's jaw clenches right after his words, obviously piercing through him. Baekhyun breathes heavily and prepares for his hurtful words but the taller only smiles again.

"Tell me then, that you don't love me anymore."

Baekhyun exhales a huge breath, but he manages to respond directly.

"I don't love you anymore."

He feels regret rushing through him when he realized it's a complete bullshit and he sees the pain in Chanyeol's eyes.

But he just had to. It had to be done.

"N-Now..." his voice breaks, "Do you understand?" he swallows the painful lump in his throat, "Is it enough reason for you to leave?"

Chanyeol blinks before straightening up in front of him.

"It's actually too late for that." he forces a smile, "I've already decided to have things my way. That won't make a difference."

Baekhyun shuts his eyes.

"You didn't want more time you said, so I'll act now and no words can change my mind." Chanyeol adds.

"Chanyeol, can you hear yourself?"

"Doesn't matter..." he swallows before continuing, "if you don't love me anymore. I've worked on that before, I can certainly do it again. We don't need to rush, Baek."

Baekhyun already finds it hard to control. He doesn't want to burst but his emotions are already too much for him to keep.

"We're not children anymore. We're fucking adults, Chanyeol for Pete's sake!" he cusses, "You're smart so my words shouldn't be so hard to ingrain in your head! I said I don't want it anymore and I don't want to play your goddamn games so why don't you just give up and get fucking lost?! Please!"

Chanyeol stares at him, almost too long that they're covered by a painful silence. Baekhyun doesn't say a word anymore.

He feels like he said too much.

Did he?

Chanyeol deserved it, right?

He bites his lip and nods slowly, walking past Baekhyun and leaving his spot on the door. Yet Baekhyun can't seem to use this chance to leave.

"I know what I want and it will take so much for me to just give up." he hates how Chanyeol tries to hide the pain in his voice with his casual tone, "Of all people, I expect you to understand, Baekhyun...that this isn't something I would consider a petty game. I'm not the type to go this far when I'm only playing, we're adults right?"

Baekhyun turns around and sees his back facing him while he fixes his gym bag.

"And it's okay...I understand where you're coming from." Chanyeol faces him, nodding once. "But if you could do it, then why shouldn't I?"

He gulps and thinks of any other rational reason.

"Flair and BEPE need you, Chanyeol." Baekhyun weakly mumbles, earning him a chuckle.

"The companies can wait." Chanyeol says while putting his towel over his shoulder, "I'll go home once my husband is ready."

Baekhyun's heart crashes when he sees him smiling again. He knows too well how forced it is and he's not able to protest anymore.

"I'll be working out. You can go back downstairs." Chanyeol says, not looking at him anymore. "Don't worry, I won't be eating lunch there."

He doesn't say anything until he hears the door behind him closing. Baekhyun spaces out long enough, until his hands stop trembling too much to reach for the cart and leave as well.

"I saw him working out when I was out for lunch." he hears a voice coming from behind, "And he's so fucking hot, Yixing, I'm about to lose my mind."

It's not that hard to figure out their identities when he hears Yixing, "Rich and hot? He's probably an asshole. Kyungsoo, I don't really trust your type of guys...."

Baekhyun pretends he doesn't hear them and proceeds to fixing his things.

"Hey, Baek! Overtime?" Yixing appears beside him with a smile flashing his dimples.

Baekhyun chuckles wearily, though he tries to flash a genuine smile. "You know, head chefs."

"You going home?" Yixing asks, "Wanna go to the new pizza house near the capitol?"

Baekhyun glances at Kyungsoo, who's only blankly looking at him.

He turns to Yixing again, "Maybe not...I want to sleep early tonight."

Kyungsoo chuckles because of this and Baekhyun chooses not to react anymore. It wasn't until he asks something more.

"Hey, do you know the guest who complained about your cream puffs this morning?" he asks, genuinely curious. Baekhyun gulps subtly, "I mean...did you get his name or anything? Front desk won't really spill info."

"That's cause they'll lose their job, Kyung." Yixing says while shaking his head.

"Whatever." Kyungsoo clicks his tongue and turns to him again, "So...?"

_Easy as pie. Tell them his name._

Baekhyun spaces out before shaking his head.

"No...sorry. Didn't get it." he simply says that earns him a snort from the other chef.

"What should I expect..." he mumbles before shrugging, "Anyways, I'll just ask the other chefs tomorrow. They probably know."

Baekhyun watches at him being so curious about Chanyeol. And something inside him wants to suddenly spill it once and for all. _His husband._

That he insulted a while ago. So maybe not.

The three of them walk out of the hotel while Yixing continues laughing while telling stories. Kyungsoo laughs with him while Baekhyun can't even bring himself to be happy as them. Chanyeol's words keep echoing in his mind. They reach the lobby, unknowingly walking past a man who follows them with his gaze.

Kyungsoo glances at him every now and then.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" he asks and Baekhyun only shakes his head.

"Yeah...don't frown too much. You look better when you're smiling, Baek." Yixing says and almost got Baekhyun smiling but he hears a voice behind them.

"True." a tall man walks towards where they are when they collectively look behind, "More beautiful when smiling, right?"

His hair is obviously now in a shade of auburn despite the limited light from the hotel lobby. The two look intrigued, but Baekhyun's blinking in surprise. The man smiles bigger.

"Sehun?"

Sehun grins at him. Kyungsoo's gaze travels between the both of them before pursing his lips.

Baekhyun wants to cuss multiple times. _Why now? Why is everybody coming back?_

The familiar friend of him from the past shrugs, a sly smile forming on his lips.

"Surprise...I guess?" he chuckles when Baekhyun remains motionless in front of him. He looks satisfied with the reaction he's getting, "Maybe I can finally try the famous cream puffs?"

The damn cream puffs, again.


	23. 22-Disappointment

The three of them are still stunned on their feet. Well-only Baekhyun, actually. His two friends are waiting for a normal response from him and are probably wondering who the hell this man might be in the first place.

"Uh..." Sehun awkwardly smiles when they're drowned into silence.

Baekhyun just needed a moment to collect himself. It's too much unexpected encounters for the day.

"W-Well...uh..." he gulps before smiling, "what are you doing here?"

Yixing and Kyungsoo watch them. And while Yixing looks obviously clueless about what's going on, the smaller beside him is slightly narrowing his eyes as if implying something.

"Vacation? I mean...not exactly vacation since it's a very short time, but still..." Sehun chuckles, "rest."

Baekhyun smiles and slowly nods. He finds himself asking a familiar question, "Here...?"

No offense, but he doesn't understand why they would _want _to go on a vacation in a town like this. This is nowhere ideal for Baekhyun. There's a lot of good places in the country, especially abroad. Why are these men suddenly here for _vacation?_

Sehun laughs because of his intriguing tone.

"You make it sound so bad." his brows shot up, "I'm here to visit you as well of course..."

Baekhyun can only force a smile. Kyungsoo looks at him, anticipating his response but he doesn't hear anything.

"Uhm..." Baekhyun clears his throat and faces them to divert the topic, "these are my friends by the way...from work. This is Kyungsoo, then Yixing."

Yixing smiles big, yet Kyungsoo remains expressionless beside him.

"Hey." he greets while his doe-like eyes stare blankly at Sehun.

"Nice to meet you." Sehun says before immediately looking at him again, "So you're going home...or?"

"Actually we're planning to eat-"

"Actually Yixing and I are going home. We're not really that hungry." Kyungsoo says and throws a sharp, subtle look at Yixing who's about to protest, "Go home too, Baekhyun. Bye." he nods at Sehun, "Bye."

Yixing is still mumbling incoherently while Kyungsoo continues to pull him away until he's completely left alone with Sehun.

Baekhyun hopelessly watches them before facing Sehun again. He doesn't know what to say, especially when Sehun's looking at him that way. It's just uneasy.

"You're...staying in this hotel too, huh?" Baekhyun states as if it isn't obvious.

"Yep." he turns to look at his bag on the luggage cart, "But I can have my things sent to my room. Would you mind if I walk you home?"  


  


"Ah..." Sehun huffs when they reach the highway, "so your...house is quite far from the capitol...isn't it?"

Baekhyun looks at him and smiles. Sehun is obviously trying to hide his heavy breaths from the long walk. They've been walking from quite some time now, speaking as they try to catch up as well. Although it's mostly about him since Sehun does all the asking.

"Tiring, right?" Baekhyun grins, "But I got used to it. It doesn't seem so far to me anymore."

"Do you walk everyday?"

"Nope. I bring a bike with me." Baekhyun puts both his hands behind, "But I appreciate walking a lot...I'm able to have time for myself. If it makes sense."

Sehun nods, "It does. But I think it's not for me." he grins before exhaling a deep breath that made Baekhyun chuckle.

He can't help stealing glances from Sehun. The man seemed to have changed a lot throughout the years. He knows he said the same about Chanyeol, but he could point out the littlest details about him when they talked again. Sehun is a whole different case. The way he speaks or looks at Baekhyun, the way he forms his words feels like a big mystery to him. Something about him makes Baekhyun so uneasy that the first time he sees his eyes lingering on him made him stunned. And it wasn't in any way how he imagined reuniting with a good friend.

"You changed a lot..."

Sehun looks at him when he says it out of the blue. Baekhyun tries to see how he'd react, expecting him to frown at him or insert a self-bragging joke in it like the Sehun he knew would do. But Sehun only grins at him.

"Did I?" he asks with an underlying tone, "What makes you say that?"

_Yeah, what made me say that? _Baekhyun tries to figure out an answer. But he can't come up with anything rational. He looks at him intently; _maybe it's the hair? Maybe it made him look so...intimidating?_

Sehun looks so amused by the way his eyes linger on him.

"I don't know...maybe cause you look more mature."

He's not even sure about that. It's not something he wanted to say.

"Maybe it's the hair color." Sehun suggests.

"Yeah...maybe." Baekhyun slows down when they're nearing their house, "You're okay, right?"

Sehun stops in front of him, still looking so normal...yet different?

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" he smiles and Baekhyun does the same. He's probably just overthinking again, "It's probably the stress from work. I haven't been resting for a while."

Baekhyun stops as well, glancing at their house then back to him.

"You don't need to work yourself up about the company. Rest when you need to." he advises that earned him another smile.

"Well you look healthier by the way." Baekhyun raises a brow because of this, "You're glowing. I can tell you're being taken care of compared to how you were before."

Baekhyun flashes a timid smile.

"Perks of working in the kitchen..." he laughs but the taller doesn't.

Sehun clears his throat before becoming more serious.

"Baek, why don't you go back to BEPE?"

Baekhyun avoids his gaze. He's been avoiding this topic for a while yet here he is, still cornered by it.

"I'm happy here."

"Still..." Sehun sighs, "why are you living like this? The Chairman left everything to you. The company is yours, Baekhyun. And I don't understand why you let anyone else have what should be yours."

Baekhyun lifts his gaze at him.

"Chanyeol isn't anyone else." he says calmly, "He's my husband."

"Is he?" he asks with a trace of sarcasm, "After two years of not hearing anything about you from Chanyeol, you're telling me you're still together?"

Baekhyun shuts his eyes. He doesn't compete with Sehun's gaze anymore.

"I don't know about you..." Sehun shakes his head, "but I don't think I can endure losing connection with my husband for so long if I truly love him."

He'll never let this go. Baekhyun is certain about that.

"What?"

He should know.

"We've..." Baekhyun gulps before he could continue, "we've broken up two years ago."

Sehun's shoulders droop down. He stares at him in disbelief.

"I knew it." he breathes, "I fucking knew it. And you still gave him the company, Baekhyun? Why the hell would you do that?"

"I c-can't manage BEPE..." he says, "it's better off this way. Chanyeol is perfectly handling it."

Sehun gasps before rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"Can you hear yourself, Baekhyun?" he asks, "He basically took advantage of your marriage! You let him!"

Baekhyun shakes his head but doesn't explain further. Sehun doesn't know the entire story. If he knew, Baekhyun still doubts he'd understand. He just hates Chanyeol, and there's no way Baekhyun can change that.

Sehun pants heavily while looking at him. Opposed to his cool mood a while ago, he's completely frustrated now as he waits for Baekhyun's response.

"Why didn't you just file a divorce?"

"I don't want to bring it up anymore. It'll be a chaos." Baekhyun shakes his head, "Please...Sehun. Please don't speak about this to anyone. I want this to be a secret..."

Sehun's jaw hardens. He looks even more different to Baekhyun now, yet he dismisses it and continues.

"I-I want a normal...and simple life." Baekhyun mumbles, "I don't want to draw attention to myself anymore. So please...don't say anything."

"Fine." Sehun says, "But I still believe you should get a divorce. My lawyer can fix it for you. No information will leak out to the public."

Baekhyun isn't able to answer. He blinks and looks down to his hands.

"Not now...m-maybe." he stutters, "I'll wait...once Chanyeol asks me to do it."

Sehun chuckles, "Are you serious?"

_Have you forgotten how decided he was to get you back? And now you say this, Baekhyun?_

He forgot about it. Baekhyun just...doesn't know anymore. Maybe it didn't cross his mind.

Baekhyun continues to avoid Sehun's sharp gaze. His eyes unintentionally land on the familiar car right in front of their house, a few meters from where they stand. His heart suddenly feels like jumping off his chest, eyes widening. He faces Sehun while blinking rapidly.

"I-I'm going inside...let's talk tomorrow." Sehun looks at him as if he doesn't want to let it go yet but Baekhyun mindlessly holds his arm to make him leave, "Please? W-We'll talk tomorrow. Thanks, Sehun...good night." he says and ignores the confused man. He quickly turns around and steps inside the gate, eyes watching the car while he locks it. Baekhyun steps inside with his heart still beating frantically.

Damn it. That's why it felt like being watched the whole time.

"Hey." Baekhyun looks up and sees Yeri looking at him, bewildered by his spacing out. "What happened to you?"

He blinks before shaking his head.

"Do you know whose car is that? The one outside?"

Her forehead creases as she walks to the window to check, "Hmm...no. But it's been there since I arrived." she turns to her brother whose lips are parted, "Why?"

_That...long?_

"Hey I'm asking!"

"Nothing...just curious." Baekhyun avoids her eyes and walks straight to his room, "I'm changing."

Yeri looks outside then back to where her brother just went. She shakes her head.

If Baekhyun remembers it right, that Audi outside is the same one as Chanyeol's car. So how long has he been there? Is he really devoting his time stalking Baekhyun? And why didn't he come out when he saw Sehun?

_Fucking annoying._

Baekhyun hisses when he sat on his bed. Maybe that dumbass fell asleep inside his car. How stupid can he get? It's fucking dangerous!

After minutes of frowning over nothing in his room, his mother calls him for dinner. Baekhyun goes outside and sits with them, yet his attention is flying somewhere.

"They haven't called yet, but I'm confident I'll get the job." Yeri brags to their mother while eating. Her gaze lands on him eating silently, "Eomma, look. He's being weird again."

Baekhyun drops his spoon and takes another moment of internal conflict. Both his mother and sister look weirded out now.

He sighs, "Is the car still outside?"

Yeri blinks, "Uh...yeah? What's with the car?"

Baekhyun grits his teeth. Is Chanyeol planning to kill himself?

"Hey where are you going?" his mother asks when he suddenly stood up.

"Outside. I'll be back." he struts his way out while still frowning.

What the fuck was he thinking? Waiting in his car for so long? He's so fucking stupid and Baekhyun is mad about that.

He stomps his way towards the car and knocks on its window. Baekhyun's chest is heaving as he waits for it to open. _He's really sleeping there, isn't he? _He knocks again, harder this time. But he still got no response.

Baekhyun clenches his jaw. He can't see the inside since it's heavily tinted. He walks right in front of it to see if there's any shadow but there's none.

His face softens.

So he's not there at all.

He turns away and walks back inside the house. His face is unreadable. His mother flinches when he hastily sits back on his chair.

"What's the matter, Baek?" she asks her frowning son.

"Nothing." he says while eating, "Just went out to check the car outside."

"Oh...that. Well I forgot to say that the owner asked permission to park in front of our house. He's visiting the Kim's from the next street. His car won't fit."

Baekhyun stops munching.

"You talked to him?" he looks at his mother, "The owner?"

"Yeah, an old man." she says, obviously confused by her son's interest.

Baekhyun feels even worse. He gulps his water down before dropping his glass.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Mrs. Ahn and Yeri share a look, "Because...you did not ask?"

He shuts his eyes, trying to collect his cool.

"What's with the car?" his mother asks again and Baekhyun stands up this time.

"Nothing. I'm done."

He barely even ate yet he's now walking back to his room with a big frown on his face. He can't believe he was fooled like that.

Bold of him to assume too much.  
  


x

"Yeri! Yeri!" it is not the perfect way to wake up either, "Baekhyun!"

The shout of their neighbor resonates outside. Baekhyun groans, realizing he has no choice but to stand up since Yeri might have left early while his mother...

His mother?

"Auntie? What is it?" Baekhyun asks while rubbing his eyes. He assumed his mother went to the market that's why he's alone in the house.

"Your mother!" she exclaims and Baekhyun's heart skips a beat, "She passed out at the market! I ran all the way here!"

Baekhyun is grabbing the bike on the side even before she could finish her sentence. He hasn't even combed his hair but nothing seems to matter more than his mother, "Where exactly?"

"Near the dairy shop! Hurry up!"

Baekhyun's heart was beating so fast while he was pedaling all the way to the market. He almost bumped into different people because of panicking. When he got there, the store owner is in front of the shop, but his mother isn't.

"S-Sir...my mother? S-She..." he can't even complete his words because of panting, "Did y-you see her? She passed out here-"

"Ah, she's your mother?" he points at the distance, "She's already rushed to the hospital by a man with a car. Just ten minutes ago." his voice doesn't even sound emphatic but Baekhyun chooses to dismiss it.

"T-Thank you..." there's only one hospital near the capitol so Baekhyun rides his bike all the way there. It's quite far, considering he only got a bike but he didn't notice it anymore because of so much adrenaline rush.

He reaches the public hospital, sweating like hell. He doesn't ask the front desk and proceeds to emergency wards. There's a lot of them but Baekhyun checks each one, tearing up in the process because he's just so afraid.

"Baek..."

Turning around when his name is called, Baekhyun sees Chanyeol standing near him. He blinks in surprise, totally not expecting his presence.

"Chanyeol? What are you..." he shakes his head and walks past him, "I-I'm trying to find my mother...she passed out...and-and...I was told..."

"She's right there." he points the end of the hall, "Second to the last ward."

Baekhyun looks at him before walking towards the said ward. When he got there, he sees a doctor and some nurses checking his unconscious mother.

"Excuse me...s-she's my mom." he says between heavy breaths, "What happened..."

The doctor puts his stethoscope around his neck before facing him.

"Her vital signs are quite unstable. Her pulse rate is low while her blood pressure is a little high. It must be over fatigue." he looks at the person behind Baekhyun, "It's a good thing she's immediately brought here."

Baekhyun sniffs and wipes his eyes. It's only now that he realized he's crying. He's really too weak for his mother.

"I suggest she gets enough rest and avoid hypertension-prone diet. I'll list them down for you." he says, "If she's taking beta blockers then she might have to take lower dosage this time."

Baekhyun can only gulp, eyes still red from the silent crying. He bows to the doctor before he leaves with the other nurses.

He wipes his face with his shirt. All the nervousness and anxiety have been collected, bursting out in this one moment. Baekhyun continuously sniffs even when his tears had already stopped. A hand is gently rubbing his back.

Baekhyun goes beside his mother's bed. He holds her hand firmly. He's suddenly so ashamed and he doesn't know why. Baekhyun keeps his head low, not wanting to look at Chanyeol who's obviously watching him from the corner.

"Excuse me..." a nurse comes back to their ward, "This is Doc's prescription for the patient, including the daily dosage and diet." she hands it to Chanyeol with a smile.

"Thank you." Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol who's reading the paper to even notice, "Do you have a pharmacy here? Do you have stocks of these?" he asks and the nurse is still smiling.

"Yes, Sir. I can just add it up to your bill and get it for you."

Baekhyun watches Chanyeol's every response. His lips are tightly pursed.

"Yes please. Everything she needs." he smiles courteously, "Thank you."

He hands her his card and Baekhyun watches how the nurse's eyes glimmer. He gulps and stands from where he's sitting.

"I'm paying, Chanyeol." he says that made the both of them look at him, "Take it back."

The nurse's smile fades while her brows shoot up. She hands the card back to Chanyeol, looking extremely disappointed. But Chanyeol's eyes linger on Baekhyun as he speaks.

"No, use it." he says firmly and gently pushes the card that made their hands brush. Baekhyun's jaw is hardening just by watching the nurse's reactions.

"I can pay for my mother. Take that back." Baekhyun hisses but he realizes what Chanyeol may have already noticed even before he does. He came here penniless.

"You are paying." the nurse's expression becomes unreadable, "My money's your money, Baek."

Both him and the nurse fell silent. She blinks rapidly before nodding and leaving in an instant. Baekhyun didn't have the chance to complain anymore.

Baekhyun falls back to his seat, even more ashamed than how he was a while ago. He's embarrassed of his petty actions. This isn't the time to become so bratty when he's not in the place to complain.

"Don't worry..." Chanyeol's gentle tone even makes him feel worse about himself, "She can go home once she wakes up."

He only nods. He should be thankful that his mother is safe, and that's it.

He insisted in paying the hospital bill and medication, even driving them home. Baekhyun couldn't protest when Chanyeol's too willing to do it. Like he said, he's not in the place to say no. His mother needs it more than he does.

They're silent throughout the ride home. He's with his mother and they're behind Chanyeol. Mrs. Ahn tries to initiate conversations every now and then but she's still too weak. Baekhyun forces her to just rest.

"Thank you, Chanyeol..." Baekhyun stops when his mother does to face Chanyeol behind them. She holds out for his hand, "Could've gotten worse if you weren't there...I'm grateful..."

Chanyeol smiles warmly and Baekhyun had to look at the ground.

"I did what a normal person would." he says, "I'm happy you're okay now. Please take a rest, Auntie."

She smiles and nods. Baekhyun guides her back in to the house. He makes sure she's comfortably lying on her bed before he walks out of the house once again. He takes a deep breath while watching Chanyeol going back to his car.

"Chanyeol..."

The taller faces him. The trace of smile is still on his face and Baekhyun finds it harder to speak.

"Thank you..."

Chanyeol's face softens. He grips his keys tighter before slowly nodding.

"No worries."

Baekhyun bites his lip and the urge to run back inside and hide his face is there in him again.

"I owe you a lot..." he almost mumbles, "T-Tell me how can I...repay you for this."

Chanyeol looks a little offended by this, "I'm not asking for a repayment."

"Still..." Baekhyun sighs, "I can give a favor back. Just tell me."

The serious look on Chanyeol's face remains. Though after a while, his brows raise as if he realizes something so wise.

"Actually you can repay me."

Baekhyun clears his throat, "Make me do something possible."

Chanyeol chuckles because of this. He didn't even say anything yet he's already contradicted.

"Are you going to the hotel today?"

Baekhyun nods, "Yes, afternoon shift." his brow shoots up, "Why?"

"Take a half-day shift."

The shorter frowns at him, "Why?"

Chanyeol sighs before speaking, "You remember Jiho, right? My high school friend?"

It takes a while for him to remember. Chanyeol had so many friends that he barely remembers all of them.

"I think so..." he visualizes the face of this friend of him, "and?"

"I'm going to his first baby's christening right now." Chanyeol smiles meaningfully, "The reception will be this afternoon."

Baekhyun immediately figures out what he's up to.

"No I don't think so..."

"We'll just go to the reception. It won't take too long."

Baekhyun glares at him, "You want us to pretend we're still together."

Chanyeol shrugs, "We're still together."

He lets out a frustrated sigh, rolling his eyes in the process. Chanyeol remains standing in front of him while waiting for his response.

"Why do we need to pretend?"

Chanyeol forces a smile.

"They're the very few people who had seen our relationship since the beginning. They heard about our marriage as well." he laughs lightly, "It should be a good day for them. I don't want to ruin that by looking so miserable."

He remains smiling, but his eyes do not meet Baekhyun's anymore.

Chanyeol clears his throat.

"You know what, it's okay." he nods once, "Forget it. Forget I asked."

"No..." Baekhyun gulps, "I'm coming."

He sees how Chanyeol's eyes suddenly light up. The taller purses his lips to prevent a smile.

"Can..." Baekhyun raises a brow when Chanyeol reluctantly speaks again, "Can you also go with me to Daetongbap House after?"

His face softens, "Why..."

"Nothing..." Chanyeol sheepishly smiles, "I just miss eating daetongbap. It was our favorite place to grab some, remember?"

Baekhyun stares at him. Chanyeol blinks rapidly.

"I know I shouldn't be asking too-"

"Fine."

He tries not to smile.

"Okay...should I fetch you here?"

Baekhyun shakes his head, "You can just tell me the address."

Chanyeol looks like he still wants to insist but is also afraid to lose his chance.

"Okay..." he nods and smiles timidly at Baekhyun, "Alright. I'll see you." and then it grows wider that his dimple pops out. Baekhyun might've almost forgotten he's not supposed to smile back. He's only repaying him.

x

"Chef Baekhyun!"

"Chef!"

Baekhyun wipes the small beads of sweat forming on his temples. The pressure makes him sweat a lot, yet he remains focused on the mixture he's working on.

"Chef!"

"_Shit." _he hisses under his breath before shouting back, "I'm coming!"

"Chef, someone's looking for you outside."

"What?" he asks without removing his gaze from the bowl on his hand, "Who?"

"A guest." a junior chef tells him, "Maybe it's about your cream puffs again."

Baekhyun wipes his hands on his apron while narrowing his eyes at her, "My cream puffs are perfect."

He hears her chuckling before he struts outside the kitchen. It's less than an hour before he finishes his shift since he's going somewhere. He needs to finish baking another batch before he can go.

Baekhyun looks around before he sees an auburn-haired man walking towards him.

"Oops, sorry." Sehun's eyes crinkle with his smile, "Wrong time?"

"Actually." he wipes his hands more, "What is it, anyway?"

"I'm just here to remind you about what you promised last night." Sehun raises a brow, "We'll hangout before I leave, right? I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

Baekhyun's lips parted, "Ah...really?"

"Yes, I told you it's fast." he grins, "Disappointed?"

He chuckles, "I was just shocked how quick it is. I'm too busy with work that I can't tour you around...sorry Hun."

"That's why we need to get a few drinks." he wiggles his brows, "It's on me."

"Now...?" Baekhyun asks.

"Not now, silly." he smiles, "I'm having an on-call meeting tonight. Let's do it tomorrow."

Baekhyun sighs in relief.

"Why?" Sehun noticed his reaction, "Any plans tonight?"

He immediately shakes his head. Sehun seems clueless about Chanyeol being here as well, "Nope...just planning to go home earlier."

"Ah..." the other nods slowly, "that's good. Save your energy for tomorrow."

Baekhyun nods as well, "Game."

Sehun beams bigger, "Go back inside. Kitchen seems so chaotic without you." he taunts before leaving.

He turns around and sees Kyungsoo putting out some freshly made appetizers. His eyes have been on him for a while. And without speaking, Baekhyun can tell what's on his mind.

"So that's why you're having early out tonight." his expression is blank but his tone implies a lot, "You have a date."

Baekhyun only frowns at him, "I don't."

The other chef shrugs in disbelief, "Don't worry. I have no intentions on spoiling your rekindling romance."

"Huh?" Baekhyun's forehead creases in confusion.

"I figured out that man..." Kyungsoo puts the tray down before grinning at him, "was the one that got away, wasn't he?"

Baekhyun blinks when he slowly understands what he means.

"You're not making sense..."

"Oh that night you were bawling your eyes out on the street when I saw you..." Kyungsoo smiles, "he was the one you were crying for, weren't you? Ex-boyfriend who's coming back?"

Baekhyun falls silent. _He's not. _But he can't speak. Kyungsoo is already in front of him, tapping his shoulders.

"No need to deny. I know you so well now, Byun. The way you looked when you saw him last night says it all." he chuckles, "Happy for you, friend."

He goes back to the kitchen and leaves Baekhyun there, unable to grasp everything he just heard.

x

For the second time, he tries to look at himself through his front camera. He combs his hair for the nth time, earning a weirded out look from the cab driver.

He puts down his phone because of this, yet he starts smelling himself subtly.

Just wanting to make sure he doesn't smell like eggs and flour.

Baekhyun doesn't have any idea what he should wear. He decided to just bring a simple dark blue polo and wore it after his shift. If it's a simple christening, then he should not overdress.

It didn't take too long when he reached the address Chanyeol gave him. He paid the driver, not expecting any remarks from him yet he still got one.

"Don't worry about your date too much." he says to Baekhyun just as he's about to open the door, "If he really likes you, he'll accept no matter how you look."

Baekhyun raises both his brows and fakes a smile before hopping out. The taxi had already left but he remains standing there, looking bewildered as ever.

_Did he just imply he looks bad?_

He finds himself frowning even more. Now he doesn't know if he looks decent at all.

Before mosquitos eat him completely, Baekhyun hesitantly clicks the doorbell on the gate. It's almost sunset yet from what he can hear, the party's only starting.

"Hi!" a girl greets him as she pulls the gate open.

"Hi..." Baekhyun reluctantly responds, "Uhm...is Chanyeol there?"

She smiles bigger.

"You're Baekhyun!" she says and pulls him inside without shame, "The celebration just started. Chanyeol told me about you..." she says, flashing a smile while looking at him intently. "I'm Jaekyung, by the way. Jiho's wife."

"Oh..." Baekhyun nods, "Sorry if I'm late. But congrats on your first baby."

She beams warmly, "Thank you..." she points behind him, "oh, there's your husband."

Baekhyun thought he could've at least fixed himself before turning around but a hand already made its way around his waist.

"Thanks, Jae..." Baekhyun shuts his eyes when the familiar masculine scent greets him, "Should we go inside?"

He tilts his head to look at Chanyeol, down to his simple white polo that perfectly hugs his figure, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His eyes were already on him and Baekhyun feels like he's drowned by his orbs.

_Fucking mess. _That's what he is compared to him.

Jaekyung goes back inside before them, giving Baekhyun the chance to slightly step away from Chanyeol to get his personal space back. Chanyeol stares at him, giving a small smile.

"You look great."

Baekhyun wouldn't even believe it at all, if it wasn't for Chanyeol's tone. It sounded like he's been waiting for the moment to say it and it's not helping the thing in Baekhyun's chest at all.

"Thanks..." he tries to keep his voice stable, "you don't...look bad either..."

_He looks like a snack, freaking dimwit. Say it._

Chanyeol chuckles, "Shall we go? Jiyoo wants to meet you."

He's about to offer his hand but takes it back in an instant. Baekhyun looks at him because of this, but Chanyeol's already acting like he didn't do anything.

"Sorry...let's go."

They went inside with Chanyeol walking ahead of him. There's a bunch of people seated around tables that were set right at their small front yard. A lot of kids are there, surrounding the little family while two magicians do tricks around them. Baekhyun spots the baby being carried by Jaekyung on the small stage. He smiles.

Every now and then, he feels Chanyeol's hand brushing against his back. But before he can point it out by himself, the taller already pulls it back.

"Here..." Chanyeol hands him a plate in the middle of watching the family on stage, "what do you wanna eat? I'll get it."

"No...it's fine. I can do it."

Chanyeol checks up on him most of the time. He already finished filling up his plate from the buffet table yet he waits for Baekhyun. The shorter awkwardly purses his lips every time he unintentionally looks at him.

"Park Chanyeol!" a man yells from the table in front. He grins wide and signals them to go there. Chanyeol shakes his head while smirking, he goes there nonetheless while making sure Baekhyun tails behind him.

"I told you you'll sit here, didn't I Mr. CEO?" Baekhyun assumes it's his best friend just by the way they tease each other. The man beams when he spots Baekhyun, "There goes the man of your dreams, ah, come sit here." he presents the chairs before sitting right beside them, "I'm Jiho, by the way. I don't think you remember but I was one of his best pals when we were high school." he says while tapping Chanyeol.

Baekhyun timidly smiles, "I remember."

Jiho grins, "And if you're unaware, I was also the one who came up with his confession performance for you." he raises his brows, not noticing how the smiles on both men beside him fade off, "And now you're married! Basically, you should thank me. I'm a matchmaker." he chuckles but Baekhyun only gives another awkward smile.

"Shut up." Chanyeol forces a grin before changing the topic, "Where's your daughter? We came here for her."

"Oops..." Jiho looks at the stage where his wife is introducing a new game right after the children's, "we need participation first."

"Alright. Adults deserve to have fun too. Children, go back to your seats." Jaekyung says through the mic that got everyone chuckling, "We need four pairs who baby each other. Come on."

"_No_...no, I'll stay here..." Baekhyun frantically shakes his head when Jiho begins pulling both him and Chanyeol up from their seats. Chanyeol looks taken aback as well but isn't protesting as much as Baekhyun is, "No, r-really...I don't want to join..."

"Come on! The game is fun!" he looks at his wife who's grinning back at him from the stage. He uses all his strength to pull Chanyeol and Baekhyun to the stage.

Baekhyun is shutting his eyes in embarrassment when they reached the stage. All the other pairs around them are also couples, though they're all up for this more than the both of them.

"Don't be shy!" Jaekyung taunts at Baekhyun when she sees him covering his face, "Alright! Everybody listen!"

Baekhyun frowns at Chanyeol who didn't try anything to spare them out of this.

"We're playing Feed the Baby right now..." the visitors coo and Baekhyun wants the earth to swallow him whole, "we all know you guys feed each other a lot but this will be a wholesome game. Sorry to disappoint."

Chanyeol laughs along with the crowd and Baekhyun had to look at him because of that.

"Okay, so what we're gonna do is...one of you will be the baby, and the other one will be in charge of feeding..." she gets a bowl from one of the clowns, "with this!"

The cooing gets louder and Baekhyun doesn't need to look to know what the bowl must be containing. He can't believe he's doing this. He did not agree.

"Okay, who's the baby?" the other pairs have already decided while Chanyeol and Baekhyun are still dumbly standing there, a huge space between them. "Yeol? Baekhyun?"

"I don't wanna get messy." Baekhyun says once and for all without looking at his husband.

Chanyeol turns to Jaekyung, "I'll be the baby."

"Yaaaas!" she looks so fulfilled of what she's doing, "Now sit on the chairs in front of you...okay? Facing each other. Knees touching! Only knees!"

Baekhyun does what she says. He'll get this over with. He basically just needs to feed him a bowl of cereal, right? Fine.

"What's the point of being a baby without looking like an actual one?" she signals the clowns again, "Wear these bibs around your neck and put these napkins on your laps, babies." she laughs.

Chanyeol is already face-palming. His friends are already teasing him from the side of the stage and Baekhyun is smiling as well. His job is a lot easier after all.

Baekhyun fights the urge to take a photo of him when he wore those. Chanyeol's ears are red and he's finding it very amusing.

"Okay, ready?" she asks and Baekhyun nods along with the others, "Oops...not yet!"

The clowns go back to each of them, holding a cloth on their hands.

"Babies, put your hands behind you, please. Thank you very much. You're not allowed to use them for the game." Chanyeol slowly hides his hands behind, "Now, for the plot twist: we're putting blindfolds on our feeders."

Baekhyun's jaw drops. Chanyeol can only laugh at their misery. If there's anything they're terrible at, it's synchronization and he can already see how messy this will be.

"W-What..." Baekhyun cannot do anything anymore when the clown covers his eyes until he sees nothing. He grips tighter on his spoon.

They're fucking doomed. All the pairs already have strategies and here's the both of them, accepting their defeat.

"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun unconsciously mumbles under his breath, as if asking help.

"Just listen to my instructions, Baek..." he can hear the trace of humor from Chanyeol's voice, "we'll be fine."

"Look how cute you are, Chanyeol!" Jaekyung exclaims through the mic that made the people giggle, "You don't look so different from my daughter, see? Baekhyun got some giant baby here."

Chanyeol smiles while shaking his head. He looks at Baekhyun in front of him who's laughing heartily despite not seeing anything. His heart feels like jumping off his chest.

"Now, are we all set?" she says while preparing the timer, "The fastest and cleanest couple will be the winner. Alright, ready?"

Baekhyun sighs heavily, slightly lifting the spoon up.

_"Go!"_

Baekhyun can't tell what's happening at all. The crowd's cheers, laughter and groans pressure him even more. He's lifting the spoon filled with cereal while following Chanyeol's orders.

"Right...more, right here." Chanyeol sounds so gentle, afraid that he'll pressure Baekhyun even more since his hand is slightly trembling, "Lift it up, Baek..." he moves his head and follows the spoon to eat the cereal on it. He can't help smiling when Baekhyun immediately fills it up again hastily. His lips are even slightly ajar from focusing.

"Chanyeol..." he groans helplessly when Chanyeol fell silent for a while.

"Move it a little upward..." he says that Baekhyun immediately follows, "right here, baby...wait, _here_, here." he catches the spoon through his mouth alone.

Their friends are cheering for them too much, yet Chanyeol can only focus on one person.

The other pairs aren't done too but they're ahead of Chanyeol and Baekhyun since they've really strategized and not afraid of messing with each other. Chanyeol sees them from where he sits but doesn't say anything. He won't make Baekhyun feel bad over this.

"S-Sorry!" Baekhyun exclaims when the spoon pokes on Chanyeol's cheek instead, messing his face even more, "Oh my god...I'm so terrible..."

"You're doing great, Baek. Don't worry."

His heart sinks more because of this. Chanyeol doesn't even care about looking so ridiculous nor losing. Baekhyun feels worse about himself.

Baekhyun puts the bowl down on his lap. Chanyeol looks at him in confusion, afraid that he might've given up. He's stunned when Baekhyun reaches his hand out to touch his face.

The crowd coos even more, but Chanyeol can only sit still while Baekhyun traces his face, trying to spot his lips. A part of him feels so alive yet incoherent, but he chooses to focus on the game as he opens his mouth.

And Baekhyun's smile when he did that? _Fucking priceless._

"Okay! I got this!" Baekhyun happily says without removing his hand on his lips, while the other scoops more cereal. "Tell me once you've swallowed it, alright?"

Chanyeol can only nod as if Baekhyun sees him.

They continuously did it, laughing hard in the process and trying not to suck Baekhyun's fingers. Baekhyun's hand is already as messy as his lips, but his hold on Chanyeol's face remains firm.

"We're a fucking mess...I can tell..." Baekhyun says between laughter.

Another scoop and Chanyeol lifts his hand up to signal Jaekyung. The woman laughs at their messy faces. But she gives them a thumbs up, making Chanyeol look around them to see that the other couples aren't done yet.

"Baek...we're done." he says with a big smile on his face. Baekhyun's fingers brush down his chin in the process of pulling his hand back.

He removes his blindfold and Chanyeol's messy yet handsome face is the first thing he sees in front of him. Baekhyun exhales the breath he's been holding for too long while he looks at him.

Chanyeol reaches for his hand to wipe his fingers with the cloth on his lap, "We won, Baek."

Baekhyun's eyes widen before turning around to see that the other pairs just finished. He gasps in disbelief before squealing and jumping in happiness. He looks at Chanyeol and feels a strong urge to hug him casually but he's fast to remember he couldn't. So he avoids his eyes, as if their hands aren't attached along with the cloth they're holding. Chanyeol sees his reluctance, but it honestly doesn't matter to him now.

"Give a round of applause for our winning couple! Yey!" Jaekyung walks near them, "You won a special set of Kleenex, wipes and breath mints!" she laughs when she sees both their reactions, yet they accept it and laugh along with them afterwards, "Why are you both frowning? C'mon, we all know these will come handy." she says and winks.

They look at each other before shaking their heads. It's a good time, after all. The game.

"You look so dirty..." Baekhyun grins and pulls the bib around his neck to wipe his face. Chanyeol can't remove the damn smile on his face anymore.  
  


  
  
"Sorry, she just woke up now..." Jaekyung says while carrying their daughter towards their table, "Chiyu, look at your uncles...hmm?"

Baekhyun coos with the sight of her. She's sucking her thumb, eyes stained with tears as if she just finished crying.

"Godfather? You like godfather?" Jaekyung asks her when her doe-eyes remain on Chanyeol, who suddenly looks alarmed.

"No...I don't-"

"Carry her." she leaves him no choice when she places her daughter in Chanyeol's arms, "See? Way to go, daddy."

"Jaekyung, how many times do I need to tell you to stop calling Chanyeol daddy?" Jiho says from his seat but his wife only rolls her eyes at him. Baekhyun smiles.

"You're sexualizing the name too much. Your daughter will call you daddy when she grows up, idiot." she looks at Chanyeol who still looks clueless while staring at the baby in his arms, "And look at Chanyeol, isn't he so father material?" she smiles at Baekhyun.

Chanyeol shakes his head when the baby starts crying, "I can't do this."

"He's terrible." Baekhyun says.

"Right he is." she nods when Chanyeol starts panicking because of Jiyoo crying, "Stand up, Chanyeol. Carry her and sing her a song." she says nonchalantly.

"Are you serious?" Chanyeol asks in disbelief but had no choice when the child cries harder. He lifts her up and walks a little far from them while cooing her. Baekhyun watches them intently. Chanyeol is murmuring something to the baby that already stopped crying. She's only looking at Chanyeol with so much interest.

Baekhyun's lips curve.

"Why don't you have babies yet?"

He looks at Jaekyung beside him who's been watching his reaction.

"We're...still busy with work." Baekhyun says reluctantly.

She pouts, "But isn't it about time? You've been married for a while now."

Baekhyun forces a smile, "Maybe in the future...right now, we don't have plans yet."

Jaekyung slowly nods.

"I can tell he's going to be such a good Dad."

Jiyoo is now giggling in his arms, while Chanyeol makes faces every after smiles.

Baekhyun smiles too.

"He is."

But then he realized that he won't be the one to give Chanyeol the role. There should be another person agreeing, and it's not him.

Baekhyun is trying to lift himself up from all the thoughts he just had that he doesn't notice Chanyeol coming back to their table.

"I was just asking Baekhyun about baby plans..." Jaekyung tells him. Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun who's not looking at him despite the forced smile on his face.

"We don't have plans." Chanyeol says seriously when he sees Baekhyun looking so conflicted.

"Ugh, seriously..." Jaekyung turns to Baekhyun again, "do you prefer a boy or girl, Baek?"

Chanyeol tries to distract her by giving Jiyoo back but Baekhyun actually responds.

"I actually prefer a daughter..." Baekhyun mumbles with a small smile. Chanyeol blinks from where he stands.

"Really? That's good! If ever you have one, then maybe she'll be best friends with Jiyoo!" Jaekyung says while her eyes crinkle.

Baekhyun smiles back. He catches Chanyeol staring so he avoids him again.

"Anything would do." he shrugs, "As long as he or she is healthy."

Jaekyung laughs and nods. She finally takes her baby from Chanyeol's arms, throwing him the next question.

"How about you, Chanyeol?" she asks with a smile, "Boy or girl?"

Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun who's finally staring at him. He blinks before answering.

"I don't know..." he chuckles awkwardly, "Whatever Baekhyun wants, I guess."

He smiles at Baekhyun beside him, yet the latter can't do the same. Before Jaekyung asks another question, Baekhyun's phone rings from his pocket.

"Excuse me..." he says and walks away from their table, "Hello?"

_"Baek!" _Sehun sounds so eager from the other line, _"We got change of plans..."_

"Huh?" his brows crease, "What is it?"

Sehun sighs heavily.

_"I'm leaving tomorrow..."_

Baekhyun rapidly blinks, "Oh..."

_"Can we meet tonight? Please?" _Sehun pleads, _"I don't know when will I be back again...we haven't hung out properly."_ he doesn't know what to say, _"Let's meet now? Are you in the hotel?"_

Baekhyun looks back to where he was sitting a while ago, partly catching Chanyeol looking at him.

"Now...?"

_"My flight is early morning tomorrow..." _Sehun says, _"Please...Baek? Didn't you say you don't have plans for tonight?"_

_I was lying, _"Uhm...well, I don't think...I can...tonight."

Sehun falls silent from the other line.

_"Oh is that so..." _he sounds so down that Baekhyun is immediately guilty.

Sehun is leaving so he should at least compromise.

"Fine...I'll do something about it."

_"Really?! Thanks Baek!" _he sighs, _"Should I fetch you?"_

"No...just text me where." Baekhyun says when he sees Chanyeol walking closer, "Bye."

He faces him when he gets closer.

"I...need to go."

Chanyeol's smile slightly fades.

"Now?"

"Yeah..." Baekhyun nods, "Sorry."

The taller gulps, trying to hide the sadness in his eyes, "A-Aren't we going to Daetongbap House?"

Baekhyun sighs, "Sorry, I can't. I need to go home early." he says, "Thanks for today though."

He walks past him to bid his goodbye to the family and leaves right away. He shouldn't be so guilty about it. He did one favor for Chanyeol, and it's done.

"Thanks for having dinner with me." Sehun smiles as soon as they stepped out of the restaurant. It's already nine in the evening and they've been roaming around for some time now. Baekhyun's thoughts are still wandering every now and then.

_Did he push through by himself?_

"Hey, you okay?"

Baekhyun nods, "Yup. Just full."

He probably didn't. It was their favorite restaurant many years ago so maybe he just said that to lure him again since it has a sentimental value for them.

"So where's this bar you were telling me?" Sehun grins.

He blinks from spacing out, "Huh?"

Rolling his eyes, Sehun lets out a frustrated sigh. "You really do need a drink. We both need it, come on."

They drove towards a known bar just near the capitol. Baekhyun doesn't really feel like drinking at all. He's both tired and preoccupied.

Sehun looks so game as they go inside the noisy bar. He's all smiles and Baekhyun doesn't want to spoil his fun. But he does, anyway.

"I'm not drinking tonight, Hun..." he says that got Sehun looking at him.

"What? Why?" Sehun's lips protruded, "You promised!"

"I promised to accompany you..."

"But it's no fun if we don't drink!" Sehun exclaims and fills his glass up anyway, "Not that much, promise..."

Baekhyun gulps down the shot of vodka Sehun gave him, earning him a cheer from the latter. They continue drinking until Sehun speaks.

"You know what, it's funny..." he sips through his glass with a grin, "I heard Chanyeol's here too."

Baekhyun looks at him because of this, but unlike what he expected, Sehun looks so casual.

"He went back here to visit his parents, from what I've heard." he shrugs and turns to Baekhyun, "Has he been visiting or bothering you?"

He shakes his head in an instant. He doesn't know why, but he feels the need to lie.

"Good." he smirks, "Just goes to show he never cared."

Baekhyun doesn't know why these simple words hit him hard in the chest. He should know it's not true. Or if it is, then so what?

"Hey!"

Baekhyun snaps out of his thoughts when someone waves a hand in front of his face. He looks beside him and sees Kyungsoo grinning at him from ear to ear. He raises both his brows, surprised by his sudden presence.

"Kyung?" Baekhyun stands up while Sehun only watches them, "What are you doing here?"

Kyungsoo's wearing a black jacket, totally different to his usual chef outfit. The beam on his face looks more genuine tonight.

His workmate smiles humorously at him, glancing at Sehun, "Are you the only one allowed to date here?"

Baekhyun chuckles, "No, silly...it's just that-" he stops when he sees the person walking towards them. His breath hitched, and he doesn't want to entertain the sudden thought in his head.

Chanyeol looks surprised seeing him too, but his face relaxes into a blank one, remembering what Baekhyun told him earlier today. The _lie _he told. It becomes even worse when he sees the person sitting beside Baekhyun. The three of them fall silent for some reason.

Baekhyun wants to convince himself it's only a coincidence.

But then Kyungsoo looks behind and smiles even bigger, nodding once.

"Well, Mr. Pa-I mean, Chanyeol..._wow_, sorry." he doesn't notice how Baekhyun looks so distraught in front of him, "He's not busy tonight so he agreed to come with me here." he says and smiles meaningfully at Baekhyun.

_Chanyeol._

Chanyeol's pace becomes slower, but Kyungsoo pulls his arm closer to them. Baekhyun's gaze falls down to their hands.

"R-Really..." Baekhyun gulps and tries to smile.

"Yep." Kyungsoo looks so naïve around the three of them, "We actually grabbed some daetongbap for dinner first before we came here." he smiles at Chanyeol, "Weren't you craving for it?"

Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol because of this. He really pushed through, huh? But not alone? Something bitter rushes down his throat. His chest feels so tight when he breathes.

Chanyeol smiles, but his darkening eyes say otherwise. He looks at Sehun seriously, then back to Baekhyun.

"That's nice..." Baekhyun can't look at him anymore. His eyes suddenly feel warm so he blinks them rapidly and looks around, "O-Our space here...is kinda...do you want t-to..."

"Or there." Sehun says with a trace of grin on his face, "I think I saw a couple of empty tables there."

Chanyeol's jaw hardens. He's not speaking anymore. And something in Baekhyun actually wants him to say something. Say that he doesn't want to be here and that he's going home instead. Because he might consider doing the same if he would.

"Yeah...actually, we wouldn't want to bother the both of you, so I think we'll go there instead, right?" Kyungsoo says. Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol and sees him nodding.

His fists clutch into fists.

"Okay, hope you enjoy." Sehun tells them while Baekhyun remains standing there. Kyungsoo waves at him and grabs Chanyeol away from there. Chanyeol's eyes linger at him for a while, and something about it pierces right through him.

He waits for it. But Chanyeol doesn't look back at him anymore.

Baekhyun sits back on the couch, looking at the lights reflecting on the ground. Sehun looks at him every now and then but chooses not to say anything.

Kyungsoo looked so comfortable with Chanyeol now. He can't even imagine how they possibly met. Thinking about it, their personalities are so different, but they have a lot of common interest. Maybe that's why Chanyeol entertained him and got along with him as well.

Baekhyun can barely hear the sound around him, his heartbeat overpowers it and the lump in his throat is painful to gulp. He feels like being punched in the gut. _That kind of pain. _His face crumples but he's able to conceal it by grabbing the glass from the table and drinking it straight. Baekhyun stands up and almost falls.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sehun catches him and asks seriously when he sees him gulping.

"Restroom..." he breathes and gently shakes his hand away, "I-I'll be back."

He bites his lip hard and wipes his eyes while walking in the sea of people on his way to the bathroom. All he could remember were those eyes. It should be just anger or loathe. He would accept it better.

But it was disappointment. And it digs deeper into his heart, hurting him so much.

What is this fear?


	24. 23-What I Want

"F-Fun..." he tears up in laughter, "Fun...so _fucking_ fun!"

Sehun shakes his head as he stops laughing. He pours another shot of liquor into Baekhyun's glass, handing it to him right then. They've just been dancing crazily on the dance floor after drinking quite a lot for the past hour. Both he and Sehun are now sweating like hell.

Baekhyun shows no sign of hesitance. He gulps it straight down his throat, earning him an applause from the man beside him.

"You...know..." he gulps while pointing his finger at him, "If you told me...I'd be having this so much fun and so...much drink...five years ago, I wouldn't have believed you..."

"This is actually the first time I see you like this...drinking and cursing like hell..." Sehun says, sounding a little incoherent too. "You look better when you're having fun..."

"I fucking know right." Baekhyun laughs again, "This...is so fun..."

Sehun watches him. It's almost midnight, the people in the bar just increased. They didn't see Kyungsoo anymore, nor who he was with. Whenever Baekhyun subtly looks at the part they had gone to and fails to see them there, his imaginations are running wild. He can only smile bitterly and drink another shot. The more he gets drunk, the images of them become more vivid in his head.

"Where do you..." Baekhyun gulps before grinning at Sehun, "think...my coworker went?"

Sehun raises a brow, "With Chanyeol?"

Baekhyun chuckles, looking back in front of him then down to his glass.

"I don't know...probably the VIP rooms upstairs." Sehun says before drinking.

He chuckles again, "VIP rooms..."

Of course, VIP room. What's the use of owning the biggest companies in the country and not having a VIP room? Baekhyun grimaces with the thought. Whatever they might be doing there now, he can perfectly imagine it.

_Fuck them._

"Maybe like me, Chanyeol's trying to loosen up from work as well. It's a good thing if he gets himself laid tonight, right?" the side of Sehun's lips curves.

Baekhyun grits his teeth as he looks at him. When Sehun looks back, he quickly removes his sharp gaze from him.

"I just...never thought he'll be the type to give in that fast."

Sehun laughs humorously, "Oh c'mon, Baek. One night stands are always easy." Sehun taps his back, "If they see each other again after tonight, then it's better. At least Chanyeol's finally serious."

He smiles, although he had to grip on his glass a little too tight. _Serious._

"Plus your friend's kinda cute." Sehun shrugs even when Baekhyun looks at him with an unreadable expression, "Chanyeol always have the same taste in men. I really can't blame him."

He raises a brow, "You're saying Kyungsoo's like me?"

Sehun shrugs again, "Partly..." he says, "That's probably why Chanyeol seemed so comfortable with him."

Baekhyun's chest heaves. He clenches his jaw while nodding.

"Good for him." he grabs the tequila and lemon on their table. The words sounded snorted more than being said.

"And good for you." Sehun adds, "At least you know now that he's not worth the trouble at all. Baekhyun if he really cared for you, he would have the slightest decency to get out of this bar when he saw you. But he didn't, right?"

Baekhyun starts playing deaf at this point. He's not hearing any of this anymore. If he needs to drown himself into more of these disgusting drinks in front of him, he will. They seem more bearable.

Sehun grins before reaching out on Baekhyun's nape to gently caress his hair. Baekhyun's head is still drooped down, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"This can be considered a good ground for divorce. Think about that."

Sehun isn't drinking anymore. He's only watching Baekhyun continuously refill his glass while the trace of sly smile on his face remains.

"He's giving you all the reasons now, Baek. There's no need to be blind about it." he suggests but Baekhyun stays silent, "Don't tell me you're affected, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun shakes his head in between fiddling his glass.

"I fucking hate him anyway." he says in conviction despite trying to blink his eyes dry, "I-I'm dizzy...I've had enough drinks."

He straightens up, making Sehun pull his hand away from him. Baekhyun tries to stay still but his vision becomes hard to focus. His head is spinning and he has to lean back on the couch.

"Hey..." Sehun leans forward to check on him.

"M-My damn head hurts..." he mumbles while shutting his eyes, "my Mom is going to kill me."

Sehun pauses for a while, trying to wait if he can force himself to move more.

"We haven't even been here for two hours yet you managed to drink at least two bottles." Sehun tells his, "You're crazy."

Baekhyun smiles. Can he blame him?

"I-I think I..." he winces.

"Shall we go now?" Sehun holds his arm, "I mean...if you want, we can just go to the hotel. I'll get you a room. Your mother might not want to see you like this."

Baekhyun shakes his head while his eyes are still closed.

"Come on, Baek."

"I'll just..." he pulls his weight up while holding on both his sides, "G-Go hom—"

He grips onto the thing closest to him when he almost loses his balance. His knees feel wobbly. Baekhyun opens his eyes and sees Sehun's face extremely close to him. He's holding onto his shirt and he can feel his breath. The grip around him becomes tighter.

Baekhyun looks up to see his eyes directed at him. He wants to walk away, but he can barely remove his gaze from the orbs staring deep into his soul.

"File a divorce, Baek."

It was a command. And Baekhyun can't speak anything that will possibly be a proper response. Sehun is too close to him and his arms feel like a cage trapping him in.

"Baekhyun."

Sehun's hands let go of him like a hot pot. Baekhyun looks at him but Sehun is glaring at someone behind him. He doesn't have enough strength to turn around so he sits back on the couch while holding onto his head.

Chanyeol stares directly at Sehun. No one speaks but their gazes compete, both jaws clenching. What Chanyeol saw was enough for his hands to be clutched into fists on both his sides. Opposed to his usual mocking smiles, Sehun looks equally pissed as him this time.

Baekhyun feels a hand tapping his face from his side.

"What is wrong with you? Did you drink all of those, Baekhyun? Jesus..." Kyungsoo lifts his arm and puts it around his neck to make him stand up. The two other men are still killing each other with their sharp gazes, but Kyungsoo is fortunately too busy with him to even notice.

He stops and faces them, "Sorry...uh, my friend is too drunk and I think he has to go home?"

Sehun looks at them because of this. Kyungsoo is prepared to leave while drunk Baekhyun is dangling beside him.

"I'm taking him home."

"I'm sure we can manage." Chanyeol says without removing his eyes at him. If he had seen what was bound to happen next when Sehun was that close to Baekhyun, then he might not be this controlled at all.

"He's my date." Sehun says with emphasis, "I should assume responsibility and take him home."

Chanyeol grins sarcastically, "And how do you think his mother will react if she sees him that wasted with an unfamiliar man?" he grits his teeth just by thinking about it, "You have no responsibility here."

"And why should I listen to you? We're not in the office for you to boss me around, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol takes a step closer, his jaw hardening.

"I'm driving my husband home." Chanyeol hisses under his breath. Eyes piercing while he emphasizes every word, "So yes, that's my fucking responsibility, not yours." 

Sehun's hand balls into fist but Chanyeol doesn't blink an eye. He's done negotiating.

"Uh...guys?"

Chanyeol turns around, Kyungsoo is looking bewildered now. He didn't hear a word about their conversation because of the distance and the loud music reverberating within the bar. Baekhyun is still clinging around his neck.

He throws one last look at Sehun before walking to where they are. Chanyeol leans on them without a word, making Kyungsoo's breath hitch for a second. Turns out he only pulled Baekhyun's other hand around his neck to carry him on his own.

"Wait...are you sure—"

"Let me carry him." Chanyeol says and Kyungsoo isn't able to complain when his friend gets completely carried on Chanyeol's back.

They gain quite a few attention as they go out of the bar. Chanyeol makes sure that Baekhyun is clinging properly onto him, while Kyungsoo walks behind them to assist every now and then.

Baekhyun opens his eyes, clutching around Chanyeol's neck even more.

When they reach Chanyeol's car, Kyungsoo awkwardly clears his throat.

"Uh...we're bringing him home right?"

Chanyeol nods, "Yeah..." he sees Kyungsoo's small smile, "don't worry. I'll still drive you home too. You can just tell me where."

He straightens up when Baekhyun's embrace around his neck gets firmer after his words.

Kyungsoo smiles bigger, "Okay. I'll give you his address too. We can just drop him off first, before me..."

Baekhyun bites his lip without any of them seeing. The pain in his chest becomes unbearable and if it's from the strong liquors he just had, he doesn't know.

Chanyeol smiles timidly, "I'll drive you first. He'll be fine with me."

"Oh..." Kyungsoo nods, "okay...sure."

Baekhyun tries to make their job easy despite his spinning vision. He walks towards the car and aims to sit in the front seat because that's where he should be, according to his belief. But before he can even manage to go there, Kyungsoo already opens the backseat while Chanyeol guides him inside.

The door is closed and Baekhyun spaces out inside. His gaze travels to Kyungsoo and Chanyeol outside while he tries to ease his shortening breath. He can see Kyungsoo's shy smiles that he had never seen before, while Chanyeol responds with his genuine ones.

Baekhyun lays down on the backseat to pretend he passed out. He covers his face with both his hands and tries to keep his heaving shoulders still. His heart; it feels like being crumpled into pieces. Everything is too much to take. He doesn't know anymore.

Of all people, Sehun's words are on loop in his head.

"Ah...he's a piece of work." he hears the doors closing, "Look...he's already sleeping."

Baekhyun feels like they're looking at him so he tries to keep his breath stable. Thank heavens for the dimmed lights, his wet face didn't need to be concealed.

Kyungsoo already faces back in front while Chanyeol's eyes remain watching him. His brows are slightly creased, deeply bothered by Baekhyun's state.

"Are you sure you'll drive me home first?" Kyungsoo asks, "I mean...you will still need to carry him to his house. I can help."

"It's okay. I can manage, don't worry."

The car begins moving. Baekhyun looks into an empty space. He can't do anything but listen to their conversations and torture himself even more.

"I can't even believe he would drink that much." he hears Kyungsoo say, "Baekhyun tends to be so impulsive sometimes."

_Stop. _Baekhyun shuts his eyes. _Stop talking to my husband about me like that. Stop._

"He must be so affected by that man. Baekhyun's so different around him."

He only hears Chanyeol's hums and short replies. He can visualize him only looking at Kyungsoo while he speaks. Chanyeol often does that when he's serious. He only listens and lets the person talk. Baekhyun knows it very well.

"I think they had something in the past." Kyungsoo adds, "I mean...I've seen him devastated over him a few years back..."

Baekhyun prevents himself from reacting. This isn't true. Chanyeol's silence doesn't even make him feel better.

"Maybe he loved him so much...ah, my poor friend." he says before glancing outside, "Oops, didn't notice that we're here. You can just drop me off right there."

The car slows down and Baekhyun doesn't mind blatantly opening his eyes anymore. He watches their backs until the car maneuvers to the side of the street.

"You live here?"

Kyungsoo smiles at Chanyeol, "Yup...there goes my apartment." he points the small building in front, "Thank you, Chanyeol...for tonight. I really had fun."

Chanyeol nods, "I should be thanking you for inviting me."

The shorter chuckles, "I hope I'll see you again in the hotel...it was really nice to meet you."

Chanyeol smiles and is about to answer but Kyungsoo takes a quick peck on his cheek. He becomes taken aback, not expecting it at all.

"Good night." Kyungsoo smiles victoriously before hopping out of the car.

Baekhyun's jaw clenches. He takes all the courage being drunk has given him by sitting up. Chanyeol looks at him in surprise. He's about to call his name but Baekhyun hops out from his car without a word.

When Kyungsoo hears the door closing behind him, he turns around, expecting Chanyeol. His brows crease when he sees Baekhyun with bloodshot eyes directed at him and messy hair.

"Baek? Are you okay now?" he asks but Baekhyun only nods, "Are you—"

"I'm fine, Kyungsoo." Baekhyun says with emphasis before hastily opening the front seat door he just came from, "Good night."

He slams the door close, not sparing his friend a glance who's looking at him outside in confusion. Chanyeol looks equally bewildered beside him, but Baekhyun only crosses his arms over his chest while coldly looking straight ahead.

"Do you feel fine now?"

"Drive."

Chanyeol's eyes linger on him before letting out a sigh. He continues to drive while Baekhyun remains silent beside him, eyes glistening while looking sharply at the road.

You know what Baekhyun feels? He feels petty. He feels insecure and threatened, he doesn't want to accept it. He should be the one pushing all these feelings away, but like before, Chanyeol wins again. He's always winning and Baekhyun despises it.

After a whole ride of silence and his teeth clashing against each other, the car stops in front of their gate. Chanyeol drops both his hands down and looks at Baekhyun beside him, whose eyes are filled with hatred yet can't keep them still.

"What's wrong?"

Baekhyun looks at him sharply, breathing heavily.

"Why are you here again?"

Chanyeol looks so frustrated beside him, yet calm. He doesn't want to let his emotions take over him. He's learned from it before, it didn't do him good.

"What were you saying about coming here?"

"I want to get you back."

Baekhyun clenches his jaw, "And this is how you do it? You think fooling around with other people is a way to do it?" he can't even hear himself anymore, "Of all people, you pick my friend? I can't believe you're still the same old person you were before."

"Stop it." Chanyeol eyes him seriously, "You're being irrational, Baekhyun."

"Now I'm being irrational?" he hisses.

"He approached me while eating alone in the restaurant, saying he recognized me as a hotel guest." Chanyeol says gently.

Baekhyun chuckles yet looks away, "I didn't ask."

"He was talking to me nicely, and helped me a lot when my tyre got flat so I offered him a ride cause he was meeting his friends in the same bar you were in."

He doesn't seem to be dizzy this time. Baekhyun feels like the alcohol has brought a completely different effect on him because he barely recognizes his words.

"He told me he doesn't have a car so I offered to send him home as well. It's all for repayment and courtesy for helping me. I got a different table in the bar by myself, looking after you the whole night."

"I said I didn't ask."

"You're jealous, Baekhyun. I get it." Chanyeol says seriously, "But how do you think I felt the whole night watching you get wasted with that man?"

"He's not a random man. He's Sehun."

"Do you think I was fucking fine?"

Baekhyun heaves heavily, unwanted images hitting him like a truck.

"And do you think it was fucking fine watching the both of you kiss?! The fucking audacity, Chanyeol!"

Immature. He's acting like one. But he's not going to stop anytime soon when this loathe blinds him more and more each second of holding himself back.

Chanyeol stares at him, his eyes hooded while he waits for Baekhyun to calm down.

"What do you want me to do?" Chanyeol asks him directly, "Tell me."

Baekhyun grits his teeth. He can't even come up with words that would not be worse than those he already said.

Chanyeol slightly leans to emphasize his point.

"Tell me and I'll tell you what I want too."

He breathes heavily while looking into Chanyeol's eyes that seem like testing him. Baekhyun clenches his jaw before shaking his head.

"Nothing."

Chanyeol nods, "You sure?"

Baekhyun leans to him, grabbing his head forward to kiss him fully. Chanyeol grips his hand that is on his face, tilting his head on the side while Baekhyun tries to make it deeper.

Same effect. It's been so long, but it's still the same. Stronger, even.

Baekhyun parts his lips to let him in but Chanyeol gently pushes him away. Baekhyun's parted lips are already swollen while his eyes are full of questions. Chanyeol's cusses in his head, trying harder to control himself. Baekhyun leans again but he's quick enough to stop him before completely moving away.

"W-What..." Baekhyun mumbles. Shame begins rousing in him, "Isn't this what you want?"

"You know this is not what I want." Chanyeol shakes his head and Baekhyun's heart twists even more.

"Well this is what I want!" Baekhyun exclaims but Chanyeol only shakes his head again. His eyes begin pooling with tears of anger, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Weren't you asking me what I want? What? You realize it's not me who you want to kiss now, huh?"

Chanyeol stares at him.

"You want to kiss me?" he asks and Baekhyun can't believe himself. He's nodding frantically, goddammit. "Then let's get back together."

Baekhyun doesn't move now. He's sniffing, and the silence is still clear as crystal for Chanyeol.

He chuckles sadly, "Still don't want it?" Baekhyun bites his lip, "Fine. Forget about kissing me. Not when you can't give me what I want, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun sharply looks at him despite crying in shame, "I can't fucking believe you..."

"No..." Chanyeol smiles but his eyes are filled with nothing but pain, "You're being unfair, Baek... This is unfair."

Baekhyun fills the anger and frustration rushing through him as he quickly makes his way out of his car. He runs inside his house, directly to his room. He made a complete fool out of himself. Now he's ashamed.

And whose fault was it?  
  
  
  


x

"Did Oh Sehun check out already?"

Baekhyun taps on the counter while the receptionist checks on her screen.

"Not yet, chef. But he already called for luggage assistance."

He smiles, "Thanks."

For a moment, he contemplates if he should go to his room or just wait for him in the lobby. He wants to apologize before Sehun goes back to Seoul. Last night was a bit messy, and it was mostly because of him. He wants to make sure they're in good terms.

So he decides to drop by his room instead. He's about to take a turn but turns out he doesn't need to. Sehun's already there, standing across the elevator with his bag on his hand.

"It's a simple job."

Baekhyun stops. The smile on his face slightly fades when he sees him talking to someone.

Not just someone, actually.

"Chef Baekhyun." Mr. Jang smiles at him, "Didn't expect to see you here."

Sehun looks stunned seeing him. Baekhyun's gaze travels between the both of them but he manages to force a smile.

"Good morning, Sir."

"Nice to see you again." the old man says casually before glancing at Sehun, "I was just asking Mr. Oh if he had a good stay here."

When Baekhyun looks at Sehun again, the latter is already smiling courteously, contrary to the expression he had a while ago.

Baekhyun is confused, "Sorry...for interrupting."

Mr. Jang smiles.

"No worries. I'm about to leave as well." his eyes linger on Baekhyun before facing Sehun, "Safe trip, Mr. Oh."

They both bow at him before he eventually leaves. Baekhyun follows him with his gaze, unaware that Sehun does the same to him.

He forces a smile, "It's your day off today?"

"Yeah...I just thought I'll personally wish you a safe trip." Baekhyun says, blinking once. "I didn't know...you knew Mr. Jang?"

Sehun raises both his brows.

"Of course." he says with a chuckle, "He's one of your father's good friends, Baek. Of course I know him."

Baekhyun slowly nods.

"Did you know he owns this hotel?"

Sehun purses his lips, "No, actually. I was surprised seeing him here too. Haven't seen him for so long."

Right.

"Did you reach home safely last night?" Sehun puts his arm on his back as they walk back to the lobby.

Baekhyun pauses when he's reminded of everything again.

"Yeah..."

"Are you sure?" Sehun chuckles, "Cause I wasn't the one who brought you home."

He remembers that.

"I think so...I was fine when I woke up."

Sehun flashes a grimace.

"Well I don't know what I'd do to Chanyeol if he did something." he says, "It's a good thing you don't remember all the shit he said last night, like you were his property."

Baekhyun gulps. He knows every bit of it.

"It's fine...what's done is done."

"Exactly. Like whatever it is between the two of you."

They reach the lobby but Sehun's hand is still on his back. Baekhyun doesn't know what to say anymore. Talking about this with Sehun makes him so uneasy.

He faces Baekhyun, trying to catch his gaze.

"I'm going home...but my offer stands." Sehun mutters, "My lawyer can fix your divorce, Baek."

Baekhyun remains silent. Sehun's hand travels up to his nape, grasping it gently.

"You know you have that one option alone, right?" he asks and Baekhyun looks at him, "Let's make this easy for everyone."

Baekhyun creases his brows, "What do you mean?"

Sehun flashes a small smile. The staffs in the lobby call him, saying his luggage is already in the car.

"I need to go." he gently touches Baekhyun's cheek before waving, "Bye bye."

The bewilderment remains on Baekhyun's face, watching Sehun going out of the hotel. The latter didn't look back to him even once. He remains standing there until he's out of his sight.

He lets out a sigh and turns around, stopping midway when he sees Kyungsoo standing behind and looking at him. He's in duty because he's wearing a chef uniform. But it looks like he got out of the kitchen to approach Baekhyun.

Baekhyun's face relaxes into a blank one.

"Hey..." Kyungsoo starts off, "was everything fine last night?"

He looks away, shooting a brow up. "Of course."

"I just want to ask..." he clears his throat, "I'm curious."

"What is it?"

"Do you know Chanyeol?" he blinks, "I mean...have you met before?"

Baekhyun looks at him.

"I told you before, no."

"Then how did he know where you live?" Kyungsoo asks, "I didn't give him your address last night."

"I was awake. I told him where."

Kyungsoo nods, "So you talked..."

"A few sentences, yes." Baekhyun doesn't know the point of this conversation. All he knows is he's annoyed.

"Oh okay..." Kyungsoo sounds relieved and Baekhyun becomes even more irked. He feels a strong urge to tell him how the night really ended. Maybe if Kyungsoo knew how he almost threw himself on Chanyeol's lap then he'll stop.

But he won't do that. He will never do that.

"You can do so much better, Kyung. Why him?" Baekhyun can't help saying.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kyungsoo raises a brow.

"He's obviously not serious. Are you actually hoping from him?" the bitterness is too audible, he hates it. "I just think you deserve someone who will take you seriously."

Kyungsoo looks at him blankly, then he chuckles.

"I think I can decide for myself." Baekhyun falls silent, "Whether he takes me seriously or not, you're out of it."

He shrugs when Baekhyun doesn't answer.

"Going back to the kitchen."

Kyungsoo leaves, and Baekhyun can't believe he actually said that.  
  
  
  


x

"Yah! Dong Seok! A good-looking guy is looking for you!"

The farmer smiles at him, opposed to his harsh way of calling the said man. Baekhyun smiles at everyone around him, he's in a farmer headquarters so most of them are resting in the place.

"Who?!" a big tanned man hastily removes his hat before looking at him, "Oh, Baekhyun-ah! Ay, this dumbasses do not remember you at all! Come here!"

Baekhyun smiles timidly before following him outside the cottage.

"It's been a while since you came." he says while wiping his sweaty forehead, "We could've prepared something to eat."

"No need...I'll be leaving in a while too." he says, "I'm just here to say that my savings are almost complete since my sister already graduated..."

"That's good!"

Baekhyun smiles.

"I'm guaranteed to get the land, right?"

The farmer chuckles, "No one is interested in that small land beside the hill, Baekhyun. You'll get it as soon as you pay."

"Thank you..." he says happily, "I've been really looking forward to buy that land. It has such a sentimental value for me. I hope you can secure it..."

"You don't need to worry." the farmer nods.

Baekhyun got a part of his money from working in BEPE and included it in his savings for Yeri's college and the renovation of their house since his mother doesn't want to leave there. But he has always promised himself that he'll build a house right beside the hill, near the river; where the sun peaks in sunrise first. It's not the land where the old cottage they had before was standing, but it's fine for him since it's still near anyway.

Maybe one day, he can build his own cottage here as well. Or a house, probably. He'll build his dream house on the land he's looking at. He'll live there until he gets old and retires, resting on the hill and swimming in the river, building side to side balconies to see every sunrise and sunset. Ah, the kind of peace he looks forward to.

He can do it all alone. He'll be able to manage.

He goes home before dawn, humming on his bike because of the productive day he had despite having hangover from last night. When Baekhyun gets home, he sees a visitor eating with his mother in the living room.

She's a very old woman, hair fully gray. Her movements are already slow and Mrs. Ahn guides her every now and then while she continues talking.

"Oh there he is..." Mrs. Ahn says that made the woman look at Baekhyun. Her eyes widen and she coughs in shock. Baekhyun and his mother run to where she's sitting, and before they know it, she's sobbing heavily.

"It's okay..." Baekhyun caresses her back when she hugs him tight while crying. He looks at his mother who's watching them, asking her through his eyes.

"She's Ms. Nam Kyunghwa..." his mother says, "she said she was your father's nanny before...and she wants to meet you."

Baekhyun blinks rapidly. He didn't know his father had someone this close to him.

"She's from Jeonju...and she heard you're residing at Jeolla so she came here." Mrs. Ahn adds, looking at her sympathetically when she won't stop crying in Baekhyun's arms.

"I-I've always wanted to meet you...I've always wanted...before I die...I want to meet you." she sobs while holding Baekhyun's face, "Oh...y-you look just like him...j-just like my Yeongseo..."

Baekhyun smiles sadly. She must be yearning for his father so much and she sees him in Baekhyun. He is too. He misses his father a lot.

He doesn't let go of her hand until she calms down. His mother gets more water and food for them, but she chooses to stand on the corner so they can talk alone.

She remains speechless for a while, looking at every bit of Baekhyun's face as if memorizing it. Baekhyun lets her. Maybe she's really special to his father because he doesn't feel uneasy at all.

"You've grown to be such a fine man..." she says with a smile, "just like your father. Oh, I feel like I'm looking at him right now."

Baekhyun smiles warmly.

"I'm happy to meet you..." he says, trying to keep his voice stable as he remembers his father. "Thank you for taking care of my father..."

"He's like my son." the old woman's voice breaks and Baekhyun's heart does the same, "I can't believe he's gone...I can't believe h-he'll be gone that way..."

Baekhyun looks at his mother on the corner who's giving him an encouraging smile. He swallows the lump in his throat before holding the woman's hand.

"I know he's in peace now..."

His gaze falls on what seems to be a book in her bag.

"What's that?"

She looks at it, "Ah...I almost forgot." she giggles, "I brought some photo albums of him to show you."

Baekhyun smiles delightfully. He has never seen past photos of his father before he became an heir. He's really curious about his childhood.

"Can I see this?" he gets one after she nods. First thing he sees when he opens it is a photo of this woman's younger self while hugging a smiling child, "Is this you and him?"

"Yes...in the 60's." she says, "Yeongseo must be eight that time."

Baekhyun doesn't speak. He only stares at every photo with a big smile on his face. His father was already wearing big specs even when he's a child. Yet he can still see the resemblance.

"Your father will always give me photos, whether it's a film he took or those class pictures he had. He said his parents never wanted them so he'd give them to me instead. I collected them all in an album." she says enthusiastically, "Until I retired and went away, he would still send me photos...of his friends, and everyone in his life. He would still write to me."

The photos look so personal. He never thought he'll see his father on this side of him. What's more painful is that he'll never get the chance to ask him about these anymore.

"Your father might looked so tough when he became Byun Yeongseo of BEPE..." she sniffs, "But to me...he's the sweet and caring child I took care of for seventeen years. He's the son I never had."

Baekhyun's tear falls when he sees another one.

"Is this...my mom?"

She looks at him and nods, "Hayoon."

Baekhyun bites his lip while nodding. His mother looked so playful and happy in all these photos. Something in Baekhyun is crashing into pieces. It's painful to think how the lives of these people who did nothing wrong could end up so tragic.

"I think he met her in college. She was an heiress to a car company, if I remember correctly. I only got to meet her once..." Mrs. Nam says, "But he told me so much through his letters. She's his best friend...she made him so happy."

She swallows before continuing, "Figures why he stopped writing to me when she died."

Baekhyun gulps and wipes his eyes. Now he finally understands. Maybe losing his mother scarred his father so much that he became that way.

People misunderstood and judged him.

"I have...another one here." she says and brings out another album from her bag, "It's more of his childhood and high school years."

Baekhyun looks up to her with glistening eyes, "C-Can I...have a copy of all of these?"

She smiles, "It's yours."

He grasps her hand firmly, grateful for the simple act. It feels like a day won't be enough to look at all of these. He wants to seize it because these are all he has.

Baekhyun laughs along with her while looking at his father's elementary photos. He snaps some of it with his phone, actually considering to get himself some specs as well.

"He exceled in everything. Everyone called him _top student kid, _then proceeded to bullying him after because according to them, he's weird." she sighs, "I used to worry about it. But your father never minded them. He was contented with what he had, and he was always happy." she smiles, "I would always tuck him into bed after he wrote in his diary. He would always write about everything...maybe even things that were beyond my knowledge."

"Do you have it too?" Baekhyun asks.

She smiles before shaking her head.

"I wish I do. I could've understood him more."

Baekhyun nods, continuing to browse the album. He can immediately spot his father in every class photo no matter how vintage or faded it is. His smile will always grow bigger. His father looked more and more like him as years pass by.

He stops midway when he sees an elementary class picture. Baekhyun's gaze travels from his seven year-old father smiling to the camera, then to the person behind him. His heart skips a beat with how uncannily familiar he is.

_"A-Ants are eating me everywhere!"_

_"Don't cry..." he tears up too, "The sound of your cries is making me cry too...stop it! I'll help you remove the ants..."_

A scene comes back to his mind. The meeting he will never forget. And there's a perfect reason why this certain memory is the first thing that he recalls.

He looks at the rest of the photos. All class pictures have the same face on them. Baekhyun's breath becomes labored.

Baekhyun's finger traces the face of the man in the photo. It's the class picture of his father's last year in elementary. He takes a gulp before turning to the woman beside him.

"Do you know this kid?"

The old woman had to lean down to look carefully at where he's pointing. Baekhyun intently waits for her answer. She blinks as if trying to remember.

"Ah...of course." she nods then sits up, "He's your father's only friend from elementary...until high school, I think? Though they went to different classes..." she purses her lips, "They were always together. Yeongseo was secretive when it came to him. He only introduced him once...and I didn't want to ask him about it."

Baekhyun is stunned. His mind is in chaos but a puzzle is starting to form in his head.

"I never felt good about that kid...I thought he was too cold and full of mischief. But your father was always with him during his early years." she nods, "I think they parted ways in college...especially when Yeongseo became friends with your mother. I didn't know much about it though."

He gulps, "Do you know his name?"

"I don't remember it..." she says, "but he has more photos here, look."

Baekhyun browses to the next page and sees something more than he can handle. The kid in the previous photos are now in his teenage years, he looked serious and cold in most photos while some caught his little grin. His ears are sticking out from underneath his dark wavy locks, and Baekhyun's breath is held.

Among the whole page dedicated to him alone, there's one with his father in it, smiling boyishly beside the cold man while his hand is placed on his shoulder. Baekhyun hears his father's last few words for him. It's history, all over again. Everything is starting to make sense but he's still confused. While looking at this man in the photos, the desire to talk to his father again becomes strong. He just wants to ask him one question. Just one.

Why is he looking at Chanyeol right now? _Why is he looking at the both of them?_   



	25. 24-Alone

"Thank you for having me in your home...I'm very happy that I finally met you, Baekhyun-ah..." Mrs. Nam holds onto his arm with a smile.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Baekhyun looks around the crowded terminal before looking at her, "You'll go home alone..."

"Don't worry about me. I've been doing this a lot when I was younger." her eyes crinkle when she smiles.

Baekhyun nods.

"Thank you for telling me so much about my father..." he says while smiling back, "I'll tell him about you if I get to visit him again."

The old woman nods. The bus is starting to get filled so Baekhyun bids another good bye. She faces him one last time, reaching for his face while looking at him fondly.

"You are very much like Yeongseo..." she says before clutching her bag tight, "I'll go now, Baekhyun. I wish you well."

Baekhyun remains on his post until the bus starts moving. He watches it and gets a last glimpse of Mrs. Nam until the vehicle completely got out of the terminal. He lets out the sigh he's been holding back, not knowing if he'll ever see her again.

He firmly believes he's nowhere like him. His father was so much stronger than he is.

That messy night in the bar did not stop Chanyeol from bothering him the following days he's back at the hotel. The man would either complain or have tremendous special requests every day he's there. Baekhyun only comforts himself, thinking that he'll get used to it until Chanyeol gets tired. But the frown on his face gets more obvious each day, Chanyeol won't even care about it as long as he's noticed.

It won't be such a big deal, if his friends won't throw him a look of suspicion every time, especially Kyungsoo.

When he hears another request of special delivery of cream puffs, Baekhyun grits his teeth in annoyance. He storms out of the kitchen, with his apron, but no cream puffs. Chanyeol is really testing his patience now, and he's not having any of it.

Just a few meters outside the hotel's buffet, he sees Chanyeol standing, probably on his way to the elevator. But when Baekhyun sees the cold look on his face and his jaw slightly hardening, he slows down and tries to get a better glimpse.

Mr. Jang is talking to him. Opposed to his expression, the man looks amused seeing him there. He has the same sly smile that Baekhyun hates. And judging from the way Chanyeol looks at him, he's probably shocked seeing the man after so many years of looking for him.

"Chanyeol..."

Both of them turn to where he is. Mr. Jang raises both his brows while Chanyeol has a glint of curiosity in his eyes. Despite that, Baekhyun can see him trying to calm himself down.

He gulps subtly before walking towards them, not averting his gaze from Chanyeol. The latter's brows are slightly creased, anticipating whatever he plans on doing.

"I thought you're going back to your room?"

Chanyeol narrows his eyes in confusion, but Baekhyun shoots a brow up to give him a sign. He purses his lips and tries to look casual.

"Go ahead. My shift is almost over, I'll go there right after."

Chanyeol blinks because of his words. Nonetheless, he nods in an instant without having any idea what Baekhyun is trying to do.

Mr. Jang watches them, his eyes screaming amusement. Baekhyun looks at him with a smile of courtesy.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Jang."

The old man chuckles, "Why did I even ask what brought Mr. Park here..."

Baekhyun fakes a smile, "Ah...he's taking a break from work and decided to visit me here." Chanyeol freezes a little when Baekhyun touches his arm, "Right, babe?"

He looks at Chanyeol while smiling. Chanyeol stares directly at him but nods again.

"Right."

"It's good to see that you really are still together...I never really believed the breakup rumors, you know." he laughs lightly.

Baekhyun smiles, "Nope. Never breaking up." he holds firmer onto the arm he's grasping, "We're just really private about our relationship, Sir."

"Of course... I can see that." he says, still smiling.

Chanyeol remains looking coldly at the man in front of him. Baekhyun tries to tug his arm gently and distract him from his obvious glaring.

"Uh...Chanyeol, do you know Mr. Jang? He's the owner of the hotel...an old friend of my father."

Chanyeol looks at him when he asked. Of course, Baekhyun should look curious for them to be convincing.

"Yes." Chanyeol says seriously, glancing at the man in front of them. "He was my late father's lawyer."

Mr. Jang's eyes change a little with the brief mention of his father. But his smile stays the same.

"You were very young when I last saw you." Mr. Jang tells Chanyeol, "And now you're married to Baekhyun."

Chanyeol's lips curve, "Small world, isn't it?"

"Indeed small world." Mr. Jang says, equally menacing. "Had I known that you're the VIP guest my manager was talking about, I could've given you a bigger suite."

Baekhyun forces another smile.

"I'll be checking out soon as well, there's no need." Chanyeol says, glancing at Baekhyun. "Just came to check my husband's workplace."

Mr. Jang nods, "I shouldn't interrupt your quality time now, should I?" he taps both their arms, "I hope we can have dinner some time. The three of us."

Baekhyun is the only one who bids goodbye. Chanyeol remains staring sharply at the man until he's out of their sight.

"What are you doing? You're being obvious!"

"Why didn't you tell me he owns this place?" Chanyeol asks him seriously.

Baekhyun parts his lips, "I..." he stutters, "I was too preoccupied...and...and we're not really talking anyway, why would I?"

Chanyeol's face softens, but he's still seriously staring at him. Baekhyun averts his gaze down.

"Did he ever try hurting you?"

Baekhyun looks up at his face, "Of course not...It...it was just recently as well when I knew he owns this."

Chanyeol sighs heavily.

"Baek..."

"I know what you'll say." Baekhyun cuts him off, "I'm not resigning for this, please. It's been so long. And we're not even sure he's involved."

The taller shuts his eyes in frustration. He knows that he won't be able to convince Baekhyun.

When silence envelopes them, Baekhyun sees it as the perfect chance to ask.

"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun gulps before continuing, "did...your father study in Seoul? Like ever?"

Chanyeol looks at him, bewildered by the spontaneous question. He wants to ask why first but Baekhyun is looking at him with so much anticipation.

"Yes." he nods, "He met my Mom here."

Baekhyun looks at him, round-eyed, "In college?"

"No." Chanyeol shakes his head, "High school camp. They became lovers then, and my Dad moved here in college to be with her. He left Seoul to be with her permanently."

Baekhyun falls silent. It feels like puzzle pieces being solved one by one. Chanyeol looks at him while he's in deep thought.

"Why are you asking?"

"And the land you owned here...?"

"It was owned by my mother's family. My father was from Seoul." Chanyeol nods while he tries to recall it, "My grandfather refused to give him the car services company when he left. So his younger brother got it."

Baekhyun's breathes deeply.

"Your uncle..."

Chanyeol shrugs, "He never left Seoul. He inherited the company, turned it to an automotive enterprise and changed its name from Parks to Flair."

"T-Their other siblings?"

"It was just the two of them. My uncle is younger..." Chanyeol purses his lips, "same age as your father, I think."

Baekhyun stops now. He hasn't processed all the information yet.

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol looks at him worriedly, "what is this all about?"

"Nothing." Baekhyun blinks while frantically shaking his head. Quickly, he turns away and leaves despite Chanyeol calling for his name once.

He's probably wrong about what he's thinking. He should be.  


x

Baekhyun puffs a huge breath after finishing his final batch for today. He's exhausted from doing multiple overtimes for the past few days. Chanyeol pestering him isn't helping him either.

Worse is he doesn't even have the courage to tell him off.

"Is this your plan that's why you shouldered my travel expenses?" Baekhyun hisses while trying to untie his apron with his phone on his ear.

_"You'll just be in the same flight and use the same service car on your way here! For someone who gets a free trip, you're a diva."_

"Ugh. Just make sure that you paid my expenses, Jongdae. If I find out it's from him..."

_"You're exaggerating." _he can tell his friend is rolling his eyes to the back of his head, _"And if he did, so what? It's still free. Still a blessing."_

He hastily puts a hand on his waist, "I swear to god, Kim Jongdae."

_"Minseok paid for your flight. Happy?" _Baekhyun hears him snort when he sighed in relief, _"First time I've encountered someone broke but still choosy."_

"I'm not broke!"

_"Yeah, yeah, saving for your dream house, whatever." _Jongdae says, _"See you next week."_

Getting engaged surely made Jongdae meaner. Baekhyun wraps up from work, still feeling offended by being called broke by his so-called bestfriend. It's better to be practical and save up for something that will last forever, right?

"Bye guys!" he bids his junior chefs goodbye who are only halfway their shifts, "I'll see you tomorrow."

When he got in the staff room, he sees both Yixing and Kyungsoo seated on the corner. They're talking about something but stopped as soon as he enters the room.

Baekhyun creases his brows.

"Hi..." he says when they both fell silent, "what are you guys doing here?"

Kyungsoo only stares at him. Yixing is the only one who actually answers.

"Just...taking a small break before the peak hours." Yixing smiles timidly, "Shift just ended?"

Baekhyun blinks at Kyungsoo who watches him intently. He slowly nods at Yixing.

"Yup..." he looks at Kyungsoo again, shooting a brow up. "Yes, Kyung?"

Kyungsoo only raises both his brows before shaking his head. Yixing forces a smile while watching them, immediately feeling the need to interrupt.

"Our shifts are about to end too! Wanna go grab some pizza?"

Baekhyun actually feels like having fun today, "Sure!"

"I can't."

They both look at Kyungsoo who's already standing up from his seat while looking so grim.

"O c'mon!" Yixing tugs his uniform, "We haven't hung out for a while..."

Baekhyun watches him intently, but Kyungsoo refuses to meet his gaze.

"Can't. I need to meet someone tonight."

Yixing's face relaxes. He blinks rapidly, "Oh...okay. Let's uh...do it next time."

Baekhyun doesn't remove his gaze from him, flashing a small smile as if genuinely curious.

"Really? Who?"

Kyungsoo gives him a look this time. The look that's usually his signal to stop. But Baekhyun continues with his testing look anyway. He really wants him to answer it.

Just as his friend's about to open his mouth, Baekhyun's phone vibrates in his pockets.

He takes another quick glance at Kyungsoo before answering it.

"Hello?"

_"Baekhyun?" _he creases his brows when he hears a man's voice, _"This is Dong Seok Hwang..."_

"Ah!" he smiles when he recognizes him, "Why Hyung? Is there any news from the owner?"

The man from the other line pauses for a while.

_"Uhm...a-actually...we have a problem."_

Baekhyun's smile falters.

"Hyung!" Baekhyun slows down from the running he did, "Hyung...what...what were you saying a while ago?"

Beads of sweat trickle down his temples. He rode on his bike all the way to the countryside. Baekhyun is panting so hard but he needs to demand answers.

"P-Please...what do you mean t-the land is sold?" his voice breaks and the other farmers are already looking at him.

Dongseok looks at him with so much sympathy. He doesn't know how to break it to Baekhyun as gentle as he could.

"I'm really sorry...I'm sorry...I didn't know."

Baekhyun starts tearing up. The exhaustion, frustration and denial pile on him.

"C-Can I just talk to the owner, please?" he asks desperately, "P-Please! Maybe...maybe I can convince them..."

"He already left after talking to the buyer..."

Baekhyun shakes his head, "I can loan! Tomorrow...I-I can find a way." he began sobbing on the spot, "If I pay first...he'll give it to me, right?"

The farmer remains silent in front of him, not knowing what to say for him to accept. The others who are sharing their sympathy are the ones that had seen his devotion for this throughout the years.

How can Baekhyun simply let this go?

"How can he easily give the property to another buyer?" Baekhyun asks, "I've b-been here...I've been the only one wanting to buy this for so long..." he weakly mumbles under his breath, voice breaking, "Please...let me talk to the owner..."

"I've mentioned to you before...the family doesn't live here anymore. They barely go here. Master Kim only goes here if it's important..." the farmer tells him disappointedly, "I'm sorry, Baekhyun-ah...I didn't see it coming. It's also the son of their good friends...maybe that's why he sold it without hesitance."

Baekhyun tries to breathe, but his chest feels so tightened that it's very difficult. He wants to beg, even when it's clearly no use, he wants to try.

"H-How about the buyer?" he tries to speak despite little sobs, "Is it for business? H-He won't find this place useful...I...I can tell him...that..." he gulps and feels no right words coming into his mind anymore, "please..."

"I don't think he's buying it for business, Baekhyun." he sighs, "He looks so interested about the place too...like how you are. He immediately bought it only a few days after seeing it."

Dongseok taps his arm as he sheds more silent tears. Baekhyun becomes more and more certain that it's hopeless to beg. And that he already lost the place he has always wanted.

He sits on one of the benches in the farmers' resting area. One of them hands him a clean towel to wipe his face. They can only show their sympathy through their looks, but like Baekhyun, they can't do anything.

"I have such huge dreams in this place..." he mumbles with a sad smile.

"I wish I could've done something...We all really tried..." Dongseok says beside him and the other farmers nod, "I'm sorry, Baekhyun."

He tries to smile genuinely while shaking his head.

"It's not your fault." he looks back to his hands, "It's okay..."

"Really unfortunate for you, young man." the oldest one among them says, "But Master Kim and his wife were very close to the Parks before. They would always do their family a favor..."

Baekhyun looks at him, blinking once.

"Who?"

Baekhyun has never been so mad. About everyone. About everything. He was pedaling so fast that he'd surely kill either himself or somebody. Halfway through his ride back home, he hops off from his bike and walks beside it instead.

It's something he can't hold back any longer. For the past few weeks, he let Chanyeol do whatever he wanted. He ignored him because he thought it was the best way. But this is too much. That place meant so much for him. He already had clear visions of how he'd build his future there. It already holds a place in his heart.

What was it for? To piss him off? To show him he got his way through things?

When hears the sound of laughter from their living room, Baekhyun feels even worse. _Great timing. _He's even more irked, almost throwing the bike on the side of their house.

"See? I told you he had overtime again, hyung." Yeri's teasing voice is the first thing he hears when he got inside. The way he slammed the door made them pause, but of course, they have to think he didn't mean it.

"Have you eaten, Baek? We got some pizza here. Chanyeol brought them." his mother says, not noticing how drained he looks while hastily removing his bag. Chanyeol's already scanning him with his eyes, "It's his parents' birthday on Monday. There will be a little celebration at their hou—"

"I don't care, Mom." Baekhyun snaps, jaw clenching while he unties his shoes.

The three of them stare at him, dumbfounded. His mother and sister are both shocked while Chanyeol watches him intently.

"Hyung..." Yeri chuckles awkwardly, "what is wrong with you...it's Mr and Mrs Park—"

"I said I don't care." Baekhyun drops the shoe on the floor, once again panting in anger. "Can you give me a fucking break?"

Yeri looks at him wide-eyed.

"Baekhyun." Chanyeol speaks before Yeri could retaliate, "Stop. Don't be like that, please."

"Oh really?" he chuckles despite the warmth in his eyes, "Why don't you get the fuck out, Chanyeol? See? You've already pissed me. Job well done. Tomorrow again, alright?" he hisses and stands up from his seat. He hastily drops his shoes on the side, while the three of them still watch him in silence.

"Baek—"

"I SAID LEAVE!" he shouts. The way his mother and sister flinched didn't go unnoticed to him but Baekhyun becomes too blinded with his wrath, "Get out!"

"Baekhyun-ah..." his mother walks towards where he is, "please calm down..."

Baekhyun only realizes he's crying in anger when his mother is already rubbing his back. Chanyeol watches him seriously, badly wanting to reach out for him but afraid it would only do worse.

"F-Fine." Baekhyun moves away from her while harshly wiping his cheeks. He grabs a pair of slippers and his bag from the floor, "If you won't leave, then I will."

He walks to the door, not looking back even when his mother and sister call for his name. Baekhyun is nearing the gate when he feels a hand pulling him back.

"What's wrong?" Chanyeol asks while gripping his arm tight because of the punches and slaps Baekhyun lets out on his chest and shoulders, "What's your problem?!"

"Fuck you!" is all he could say while trying to escape his hold, "That land was supposed to be mine but you just have to take it away from me too! You're a fucking selfish asshole!" Baekhyun falls on the ground when he grows tired of hurting him. He put no fight against Chanyeol, it only worn him out more.

"I hate you...I fucking hate you so much..."

"The land..." Chanyeol figures it out as they both heave, "You...I didn't know, Baek...I d-didn't know you want it too..."

"Just admit..." Baekhyun says hoarsely, "that you came back to make me miserable! You couldn't accept you're t-the only one fucked up when I left so you're here to make me live in hell again..." he lets out continuous sobs that his words are barely audible, "A-All you do is hurt me...Chanyeol...that's all you do...you're a—f-fucking terrible person."

Chanyeol finds it hard to speak. The words were too much for him to endure. He understands that Baekhyun is mad, but those words were too much.

"I wouldn't have bought it if I knew..." Chanyeol's voice is now weak, "I never wanted to hurt you, Baek...I don't want to hurt you...I'm sorry."

His trembling hand tries to reach out for Baekhyun but the shorter immediately flinches.

"Can you just stop? Please...stop." Baekhyun rambles against his hands, "J-Just...leave me alone....or b-better yet, file a divorce. T-This is making me so tired..."

Chanyeol gulps, fear evident in his eyes. "No."

"_Jesus..._" Baekhyun stands up from the ground and tries to wipe his face dry, "What do you think, Chanyeol? That we can be the same as we were before? It's useless. I will _never_ go back to you anymore, even with all this shit you're trying to do."

Baekhyun barely knows what he's saying. Chanyeol's too unresponsive right now, but Baekhyun can't seem to stop.

"Oh, you have a date tonight, right? You're probably late." he says while his fists are clenched, "I've had enough of your games. You've successfully messed up my life within your stay here. Now go."

He walks past him to go back to their house. Chanyeol remains motionless on his post, blinking rapidly while he stares at the ground. Mrs. Ahn and Yeri are standing at the door, hearing everything he just said. Unlike his mother who's silent, Yeri immediately follows him inside.

"What the hell, hyung?" she asks in shock, "What did you just do?"

"Yeri, enough." he's not dealing with this too, "Give it a rest."

"No! I won't be silent here, watching you treat Chanyeol-hyung like that!"

Baekhyun looks at her in disbelief.

"I'm your brother."

"I know, but you're too much!" Yeri breathes heavily. Their mother is trying to stop her but she wouldn't, "I can't believe you're capable of saying such thing. He didn't do anything wrong!"

Baekhyun faces her, even more aggravated by the fact that his sister sides with Chanyeol.

"Did you forget all the things he had done to me?" Baekhyun asks through gritted teeth, "How could you side with him?"

Yeri chuckles, "I knew you're still hung up on that." he falls silent with the sarcasm, "It's been a long time, for Pete's sake! Chanyeol-hyung apologized...he regretted it and asked for forgiveness! He gave you time and space! What else do you want?"

"Yeri, stop now please." Mrs. Ahn holds her hand but she shakes her head, still staring at her brother.

"No, Eomma. Baekhyung needs to wake up." she says that makes him silent, "You're doing this to move on? You don't want to be hurt again, hyung, I understand. But do you feel fine now while you push him away? Look at yourself. You've become worse!"

His jaw hardens.

"You obviously still love him. But what do you do? You punish him. You're no different to how he was two years ago."

"Shut up." Baekhyun hisses.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" she asks, even daring to take one step. "You hate what he did but you're doing the same thing, isn't that a little hypocrite hyung?"

Baekhyun's fist tightens. He takes a step towards her.

"Enough! The both of you! Stop it!" Mrs. Ahn stands between them before Baekhyun could even raise a hand. Both of them don't dare to say a word, not when their mother is in between the hell they're trying to raise.

Yeri looks at him with now bloodshot eyes. Realization hits Baekhyun; it is affecting everyone, all in a bad way.

"E-Everyday..." her voice finally breaks, "I see Chanyeol-hyung trying."

Baekhyun bites his lip. His shoulders droop down from all the tension.

What about him? Did he not try hard before?

"He's my brother too, hyung..." Yeri says, "I've seen how much he's trying to be better for you again. Is it so hard to forgive?"

Baekhyun's gaze falls to the ground. They're covered by silence, only the sound of his mother's heavy breathing. After a while, Yeri goes to her room.

He feels his mother's hand on his cheek, and Baekhyun tries not to break down, yet failed miserably.

Everything has been so exhilarating.

x

Baekhyun has been working for the past twelve hours in the hotel. As someone who uses overworking as a defense mechanism over the years, he's dead tired now.

"Chef, go home."

He smiles at one of the junior chefs that worriedly approached him. He needed it. Everyone seems so opposed to him for the past few days. A simple care from anyone would do.

"Sleep is for the weak." he retaliates that made the other chef chuckle. He continues to space out in the staff room while trying to regain his energy. But it seems like it was never there to begin with.

Yeri isn't speaking to him at all. His mother acts casually but he knows she's offended by the things that happened. He still doesn't get the chance to say sorry.

Baekhyun shuts his eyes tight. Thinking of his dream house used to relax him when he's tired. But now it's gone too. How fucked is that?

No cream puffs complaint lately.

Well it's not like he's waiting for it.

He flinches when he hears the staff room opening. Kyungsoo stands at the door, looking at him blankly. Baekhyun stares back at him, almost surprised but soon remembers they're workmates.

"Hey..." Baekhyun tries to smile but Kyungsoo only responds with a forced one.

"Hey."

Kyungsoo proceeds to his locker, probably to get something in his bag. Baekhyun watches him the whole time, waiting for his usual diva remarks that are also nonexistent these past few days.

"How was your date?"

Kyungsoo glances at him, brows slightly crossed. "Date?"

"You know..." he remembers the chaotic night, "when we were supposed to get pizza."

Kyungsoo raises his brows when he remembers, but he only shrugs.

"Fun."

Baekhyun purses his lips before proceeding to ask.

"Really?" he smiles, "Where did you go?"

Kyungsoo stares at his locker, sighing heavily before facing him.

"You really wanna know where?"

Baekhyun gulps. Though he keeps his chin up and nods, "Of course. Spill."

"Well we went at the hotel rooftop and talked about you." Kyungsoo chuckles before putting his bag back in the locker, "With beers and all...romantic, wasn't it?"

He isn't able to answer immediately. When he tries to, Kyungsoo speaks again.

"I don't know why you lied about it." Kyungsoo says while staring directly at him, "I don't know what's so hard about telling us you're married. Even worse is when I was trying to hit on your husband, you still won't say a damn thing. Why Byun?"

Baekhyun's tongue is tied. He's suddenly incapable of answering when Kyungsoo's looking at him like that.

"I can't believe you let me pull him in a bar...or even entertain the idea that he'd get drunk with someone who's not you. I can't fucking believe it, Baekhyun. I will never condone that if I were you, but you made me look so stupid because I almost became the third party. I can't fucking believe you let me become that person."

Baekhyun swallows before speaking, "You like him, don't you?"

"I do. But he's married and worse is, to you." Kyungsoo hisses, "I'm not mad because of Chanyeol. It's because I thought we're friends...but you nonchalantly let me get involved in your stupid relationship. You made me look like a fool."

He can see the pain in Kyungsoo's eyes this time. The guilt in Baekhyun's chest becomes even worse.

"I'm sorry..."

Kyungsoo chuckles, but it seems like he's only preventing himself to say far worse things.

"We're not together anymore."

He looks at Baekhyun because of this. The smug smile on his face fades off.

"Is that another lie?"

Baekhyun shakes his head, "We broke up two years ago."

Kyungsoo stares at him longer. He doesn't say anything for a while and Baekhyun doesn't know what to expect.

"He didn't tell me that."

Baekhyun sighs, and Kyungsoo is even more convinced for an unknown reason.

"So are you getting divorce or what?"

"I-I don't know..." he remembers saying something about it to Chanyeol, "Probably..."

Kyungsoo doesn't answer. He shuts his locker and walks to the door. Baekhyun doesn't expect him to say anything more but he does anyway.

"Since you've been surprisingly open about it, I will be too." he sees the curve on Kyungsoo's lips, "I really like Chanyeol a lot, and you never seem to care about him. So tell me once you get divorced."

Baekhyun subtly grits his teeth. Because why would Kyungsoo assume that? Does Chanyeol look so victimized when they're together?

"We really click. It would be a shame not to try." Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun might've cussed inside, "We might work out, who knows?" he grins before completely going out.

  
He finished the dinner buffet and went home in an instant. Baekhyun suddenly couldn't stand being in a single room with Kyungsoo again. He didn't bother taking his apron off in the staff room and did it in the street instead, his coworker's words echoing in his head.

Once he reaches the gate, his mother and Yeri are going out at the same time. His gaze catches his sister's, but both of them look away.

"We're going somewhere for a while." Mrs. Ahn says and Baekhyun knows too well where they're headed, "There's food in the cooler."

"I've eaten." Baekhyun says shortly.

His mother nods, "Okay..." she holds onto Yeri who's fiddling on her phone, "We won't be gone too long."

Baekhyun nods and goes ahead inside the house. He watches them walking to the opposite direction, thinking why his mother never tried asking him to come again.

He still wouldn't go. He's just curious.

The food in the fridge is still eaten anyway. Baekhyun doesn't know how long this distant relationship with them will go on, but it's killing him. They're the only family he has and he's not used to this treatment. He eats continuously, but there's still a lump in his throat that's hard to swallow. It's been there for a while now, together with the heaviness in his chest.

He's just so...lonely.

Baekhyun eats alone in the house, in deep thought when the doorbell rings.

He finishes the food before standing up to check. He needed to get out of the door because he couldn't see the one who rang the bell. But when he did, he immediately regrets it.

Baekhyun instinctively turns colder when he sees Chanyeol standing in front of their gate, his permed hair almost covers his eyes. But Baekhyun can see they're directed at him. He's wearing a jacket and a small smile. But Baekhyun sees how forced it is.

"Why are you here?" he crosses his arms over his chest, "I said I'm not going there. My mother and sister did. I'm staying here."

Chanyeol remains motionless from where he is. He's only staring intently at Baekhyun, hands diligently placed on both his sides.

"I just want us to talk properly."

"I don't want to."

His words are sharp. He looks at him coldly as if those eyes weren't filled with tears for quite some time now. Baekhyun doesn't remember giving his emotions a rest ever since Chanyeol appeared in his life again.

Chanyeol nods once, "Don't worry. Just this time."

Baekhyun's lips purse into a thin line. His chest heaves while waiting for his next words.

"I'm leaving." Chanyeol says in a low voice, "I'm going back to Seoul this Wednesday."

Baekhyun grits his teeth hard, but he keeps his face from crumpling, tilting his chin up.

"Good." he chuckles yet looks anywhere but Chanyeol's eyes, "At least...you finally got tired."

"I'm not tired." Chanyeol smiles, "What I realize is that I don't want either of us to reach that point again. When I came here, I thought doing my best to win you back was the right decision. But it turns out I'm only pressuring you more."

Baekhyun doesn't say anything. He has this strong urge to disagree, and he doesn't even know which part of Chanyeol's words he wants to do so. He can't speak.

"I don't want to pressure you again, Baek. It was a mistake of mine before." Chanyeol's voice surprisingly doesn't break but he's gulping between his words.

"Really?" Baekhyun chortles, "Or you just found someone more convenient to settle with? You don't need to sugarcoat it for me, Chanyeol. I won't give a shit."

Chanyeol doesn't look taken by his words. Instead, he chuckles more. But the way he pauses while biting his lip so hard already implies a lot.

"Before I leave...I just want to be in good terms with you, Baek." Chanyeol pauses, dismissing Baekhyun's accusation. "Even just as friends."

It was so hard to say, but so much harder to hear. Baekhyun doesn't know why it ignites the anger in him even more.

"We can't be in good terms, Chanyeol." Baekhyun says firmly, "I can never be friends with you. You should know that."

Chanyeol falls silent. Baekhyun is looking at him intently. He waits for Chanyeol, as the taller struggles with his next words.

"I guess you really want it then..." Chanyeol nods slowly before looking straight at him, "I'll give you the divorce you want, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun smiles sarcastically, but he can't deny the warmth forming in his eyes. He parts his lips to speak but he finds himself pursing them again because he feels like he will stutter. He's gritting his teeth beneath his smile.

"I see." he says, "Y-You've found someone to replace me, huh? Wow. Fucking finally. Let's get the fucking divorce now, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol doesn't answer and Baekhyun finds it even harder to keep himself composed. They both know it's not true. So why isn't he saying a word? Baekhyun wants him to argue. He wants him to speak. Say something.

He was staring on the ground for a while before he lifts his gaze up again.

"I'm beginning to accept it, Baek."

Baekhyun's jaw clenches, "Accept what?"

"That you'll never see me the same way again."

His voice breaks when he says that. Baekhyun breathes heavily and the image of the man in front of him becomes blurry. His gritting his teeth so hard and the lump in his throat is already painful to bear.

"I'll never be your childhood bestfriend or the boy you loved in your teenage years again." Chanyeol's hand swiftly wipes along the bridge of his nose while shaking his head, "I will always be the man who hurt you two years ago. Because all I could see in your eyes the whole time I was here was hatred every time you see me."

Baekhyun bursts into silent tears. But then again, he can't say anything. Because this is what he has always wanted. Chanyeol's finally giving it to him. _Finally. _These should all be tears of happiness.

It should not be this hard.

"It hurts...but it's the truth." Chanyeol says under his breath but the silence makes him hear it so clear. He's still not looking away from the ground, "I should finally let you go."

Baekhyun finally lets out a loud sob. He harshly wipes his eyes while breathing through his mouth. Chanyeol looks at him, his eyes are red and glistening. He walks to the gate that's the only barrier between them. When he finally stands right in front of crying Baekhyun, he holds his face between his hands, smiling warmly despite the sobbing one in front of him.

Chanyeol's perm hair is almost covering his eyes, but Baekhyun can see them screaming only pain while looking at him. His big thumbs press against Baekhyun's cheeks to wipe them dry.

He's wrong again. Baekhyun had always seen his Chanyeol from the moment he reappeared in front of their house, smiling and wanting him back. That's why he hated it. He hated it so much because if he didn't, then he thought he'd lose again. If he gave in to him the moment his knees wobbled when Chanyeol showed up, then he'd lose the game again. He just didn't want to lose anymore.

He thought he made things right by pushing him away, yet he still feels like losing now. It's so much worse than losing.

Chanyeol's dimple appears when he smiles while wiping his own eyes. He sneaks an envelope in Baekhyun's hand before turning away to leave.

It's simple to tell him not to. But Baekhyun feels like it's the hardest thing in the world.

So it feels like a déjà vu; watching his back walking away from him. But unlike the first time, Baekhyun doesn't try to conceal his tears anymore. If his cries will make Chanyeol look back and change his mind, then he would have to do it more.

But what would he do, if he changes his mind? Nothing. Baekhyun always does nothing.

He looks at the envelope that is already crumpled in his hand. Baekhyun unwraps it while still crying uncontrollably. He feels so crushed beyond repair.

It's a certificate of title. And his name is on it, _alone_, like what he had always wanted. 


	26. 25-Overdue

It's almost the beginning of Spring when Baekhyun arrives at Sydney. The resthouse is forty minutes away from the airport and throughout the ride, he watches the Jacaranda trees blooming profusely ahead of time. He's able to take pictures of them like what a normal tourist would, distracting himself from the problems he should've left in Korea.

"Baekhyunnie," Jongdae's sister holds his hand when he spaces out in the car again, "are you okay?"

He gives her a reassuring smile, "Yes...sorry."

She smiles back, "Don't be sad. You'll see Jongdae soon."

Baekhyun can only nod. He's been silent since departing the country, answering when asked but slept most of the time. Partly because he's shy since he barely knows Jongdae's friends from work whom he went here with. He also didn't want to talk to Jongdae's sister too much because he might end up spilling a lot of information.

As soon as Jongdae heard about what happened, he told Baekhyun a few days later that there will be change of plans. He won't be flying to Australia with Chanyeol. Baekhyun thought about it too; Chanyeol probably didn't want to be in the same flight as him. _I mean, who would want to? _He tells himself. After what happened, he doesn't even know if Chanyeol's still coming to their wedding.

He didn't hear anything about him anymore, nor did he ask.

"Oh my god!" he immediately hears his best friend squealing along with the other ones with him, "Look at you all being haggard!"

Baekhyun helps in removing all the baggage from the service car while Jongdae hugs all his workmates one by one, catching up in the process with more squealing and giggling. Baekhyun glances at them once in a while, smiling.

"Baekhyun!" he looks behind and sees Minseok walking towards him with a big smile. He looks so happy. They both look so happy. Baekhyun hugs him tight when he got closer. Love does them right, and Baekhyun is happy about that.

"Thanks for coming all the way here." Minseok sincerely says after pulling away.

"Won't miss it for the world."

"How dare you hug him first!"

They both look on the right where Jongdae is faking a frown while heading towards them. When Baekhyun meets his gaze, he breaks into a smile while spreading his arms wide.

"The bride should always be first!"

"Really...Dae, it isn't a het wedding."

"I missed you..." Jongdae ignores his remark and squeezes him into a tight hug. Baekhyun feels him rubbing his back while murmuring, "I missed you, Baek."

Baekhyun looks into space. Minseok watches them, a glint of concern in his eyes. Baekhyun embraces Jongdae back.

"I missed you a lot as well..." he mumbles.

Jongdae pulls away, holding his face between his hands while staring straight at him. He looks at Baekhyun the same way Minseok does.

Baekhyun hates it a lot.

"You're okay?"

He immediately smiles and makes a ridiculous face, "Of course."

Jongdae glances at Minseok, who does the same. By the way he sighed, Baekhyun knows he doesn't buy it.

But like the best friend he has always been, he smiles wider at Baekhyun.

"Now that you're here, we'll be having so much fun!"

He lets Jongdae pull him inside the rest house they'll be staying. That's what he came for, right? _Fun._  
  


x

Kinda bluff actually. Because that night, the bed dragged Baekhyun into it and before he even knew it, he barely left it anymore. The following day, the other guests, especially the entourage went out with the couple to roam around Sydney. Baekhyun missed out because he was sleeping.

_Pretended _he was sleeping.

He just didn't feel like it. Rather, he spent his day finalizing the design of the cake, then sleeping again. Thankfully, there are caretakers of the house that were willing to assist him every time.

What a dull life to live.

"Seriously, Baek?"

He groans sleepily when he felt Jongdae nudging his feet. He tries opening his eyes and it's already the next morning. Two days of being a worthless tourist.

And in those two days, no new visitors came.

"Treated you to Australia and I'll see you sleeping for two straight days?" his best friend hisses in disbelief but it didn't make him move at all so he's nudged harder, "Bitch, wake up!"

"I'm awake." he mumbles.

"Stand up!"

He clicks his tongue, "It's seven in the morning, Dae..." he fakes a whimper, "my head still hurts."

"You've already used that alibi for two days, I'm not buying it." Jongdae says, "Baekhyun, are you going to be like this until my wedding day?"

Baekhyun doesn't answer, but it made him sit up at least. He stares into space with the comforter wrapped around him while Jongdae looks at his messed up hair and puffy eyes.

"You look like shit." he tells Baekhyun with both his hands on his waist, "We should go out today."

Scratching his neck, Baekhyun shakes his head in an instant. "I can't. I have to buy the materials and ingredients for the cake."

"List them down and I'll have someone else do it."

Baekhyun still shakes his head, "I always personally buy the things I need."

Jongdae can only stare at him hopelessly. Baekhyun doesn't look functional anymore and he perfectly knows why. It's even more annoying.

"Fine. We'll buy them together. Then let's grab lunch and roam around."

"But Min—"

"No buts!" Jongdae pulls the comforter away from him and he even tries to pull it back, "I'm going to kick your ass back to Korea and forget we're friends, try me."

Baekhyun frowns. He has no choice left, does he? All he wanted was to be alone, but he certainly can't do that here.

A gentle knock disrupts them both and Minseok sneaks in through the door, looking fresh from the shower. Baekhyun immediately feels ashamed for himself and Jongdae knows it by the way he chortled.

"Morning Baek. Finally rested?" Minseok smiles when he only responded with a nod. He turns to Jongdae while shifting to the other side, muttering as if Baekhyun won't hear their conversation. If anything, eavesdropping has been his forte. That's why he's always in trouble.

"You going?"

"Yeah. I'll bring the smaller car." Minseok mutters in which Jongdae nods, "He's landing thirty minutes from now."

"Okay." Jongdae kisses his cheek and they're still talking faintly, "He can share a room with your cousin in the other house, right?"

"Yep."

Baekhyun remains spacing out, as if he's too sleepy when in fact he's preoccupied with their conversation and is already trying to analyze the obvious.

Minseok waves at him, "See you later, Baek!"

He smiles and waves back. Minseok leaves the room and it is only then when he noticed that he's going out based from his clothes and rubber shoes.

Baekhyun stares at Jongdae who was just watching his fiancé, then turns to look back at him. Baekhyun waits for him to say something about their conversation and confirm what he's thinking.

"I think we should go now?" is the only thing Jongdae says despite his demanding look. His best friend only smiles and walks to the door, "Go and take a shower. I'll wait for you outside."

"Why didn't we just tag along with Minseok?" Baekhyun curiously asks while they're shopping for ingredients at the nearby supermarket.

"Hmm?" Jongdae focuses on the things in their cart while answering, "We're out of the way. He can't drop us off."

Baekhyun slowly nods.

"Where's he going by the way?" Jongdae gets two different brands. Baekhyun's look is on him and not on the things where it should be.

"Hmm...picking up some guests." he says while still nonchalantly pushing the cart.

"Ah...part of your entourage?"

Jongdae faces him. Baekhyun gulps.

"Which one do you use here?" he lifts both brands in front of Baekhyun's face to make him choose.

Alright then. Time to stop asking.

"This one will do." he points the other and Jongdae has successfully drifted the topic to pastry ingredients.

They finished shopping and Jongdae never ran out of things to talk about. Yet he barely answered the question Baekhyun wanted to know. So like before, he tended to space out, only nodding and responding when necessary. Or more like when Jongdae already throws him a sharp look.

The only time they're covered with silence is when they finally wait for their lunch to arrive at the steakhouse they've chosen. Since he won't initiate a conversation, Jongdae does it again, but in a completely different turn.

"How is the divorce going?"

It is such a wrong question to start off, if you ask Baekhyun. It feels more like an attack and Jongdae doesn't seem apologetic for it.

Yet he tries to look casual when he shrugs.

"We haven't started talking about it." Baekhyun says while staring at the table, "But one of his lawyers messaged me before I went here. So I guess..." he barely even finished the sentence and ended up shrugging again.

"Yeah..." Jongdae hums when he almost loses words, "At least...it has progress now."

Baekhyun nods, "At least. Cause we both want this."

Jongdae forces a smile, "You want this, Baek."

He doesn't answer. Chanyeol agreed, didn't he? He even initiated it, so why him?

Why just him?

"But...I do understand. Don't get me wrong because I understand you, Baek." Jongdae leans with both his elbows on the table, smiling with encouragement when Baekhyun falls silent. "I didn't want to talk about it because I want this to be a happy time not just for me, but for you as well."

Baekhyun finally looks at him, guilt slowly dawning upon him.

"I'm sorry, Dae..." he realizes what he's been doing for the past few days, "I'm sorry if I'm being such a burden..."

His best friend holds his hand firmly, "Baek, if this is what's been bothering you for the past few days, you don't have to feel like you need to keep it from me." Jongdae says, "I will understand. You're my best friend. I might be a nagger most of the time but I still love you."

Baekhyun gulps before beaming. He should be happy. At least he knows someone's there, willing to listen.

"I don't know..." he says faintly, "I don't know what's happening to me as well...I-I'm just not feeling good."

Jongdae watches him staring straight at the table. He knows. Everyone does.

"We'll try our best so you won't need to deal with each other throughout the coming days, don't worry."

Baekhyun forces another smile. Sure...of course.

"Baek..." Jongdae smiles in concern, "Both you and Chanyeol are special to me and Minseok. You're both our friends..." he sighs heavily, "We only want you to be finally happy."

He can't do that. Not now. But there's no way he's going to spoil this supposedly happy days for Jongdae and Minseok. He can try.

"I'll have fun, don't worry."

They've finished roaming around for a while and now they're driving back to the rest house. Baekhyun is exhausted, actually. He easily gets tired nowadays, as if doing something takes a lot of effort.

He carries the bags they've bought from the grocery. Jongdae walks ahead of him, managing to crack jokes on their way inside. It's only when they reach the door when Baekhyun's grin fades off and Jongdae is squealing in happiness, running to the person sitting in the living room and drinking coffee with Minseok. Baekhyun stops on his tracks and tries his best to be as silent as possible.

Baekhyun gently puts the bags on the kitchen counter, holding his breath while he tries to act casually. Chanyeol's eyes follow him despite hugging Jongdae back. He looks away from the shorter and forces a smile when Jongdae pulls away to talk to him.

Fine. He can act normally. He'll probably just change his clothes and go back here to start the preparation of the cake. It doesn't have to be such a big deal.

"Baek."

Baekhyun stops and looks behind him as he's about to walk up the stairs. Minseok is timidly smiling at him.

"Where are you going?"

"Uh...I'll just change my clothes. I'll go down again to start the fondant designs."

Minseok gulps, "Uhm...don't you want to rest upstairs first? We can start later." he smiles, "We'll be having a party tonight...you need energy."

Baekhyun immediately figures out what he's trying to do. He blinks rapidly and fakes a smile.

"Sure." he nods, "Later then."

He goes to his room and stays there. Of course. _They need to catch up. _They can't do that if he's there.

He lays down on his bed, feeling out of place for no apparent reason.

Of course.

He wakes up and the sound of laughter downstairs is loud. Baekhyun grabs his phone to check the time and it's already six in the evening. He hasn't started his fondant designs yet.

For a while, he even had the audacity to space out while looking at the window. It only occurs to him that two of his best friends are getting married tomorrow, yet he's here. He had never wanted to die this much. The fact that he still has to pretend to have fun for the next hours is even worse.

Something terrible began creeping inside him again. He needed to stand up.

Baekhyun has decided to come down when the laughter is gone. He's greeted by an empty living room, but a loud music from the other house can be heard. He then figures out that the party will be held there, thankfully.

And like what he said, he's not really in the mood to join. He's never in the mood. So what he'll do is start his fondant designs for tomorrow's wedding. He'd rather be productive while Jongdae forgets about him.

Baekhyun puts out the ingredients he needs and begins his job. While in the midst of doing it, he hears a familiar laugh just outside the door.

"I'm getting the beers!"

He didn't even have the time to react. Baekhyun stands up straight when someone enters the door, grin fading when their eyes meet. Baekhyun is fast enough to look back at what he's doing while blinking rapidly to recover.

From the corner of his eyes, he can see him walking to the fridge on his side. He hears bottles clanking against each other. Then it's suddenly harder to keep his hands from slightly trembling when Chanyeol closes the fridge and faces his way. The fondant pieces almost fall from his hold.

Damn it, really. All he wants is to be productive.

He can feel him watching him so he looks at him in irritation, raising his brows as if asking what the hell does he need. Chanyeol holds the case of beers in his hands as he clears his throat.

"Aren't you joining?"

Baekhyun gulps and opens his mouth to answer if it wasn't for another voice disrupting their eye contact and almost small talk.

"There you are! I was about to pull you out from the bed, what the hell are you doing here?" Jongdae says loudly, "Chanyeol, put the beers there. Baek, you can do that tomorrow!"

Before he knows it, Chanyeol is already leaving the both of them. Baekhyun can't even form a proper sentence with the way his heart rushes.

"I need to start making these..."

Jongdae is wearing an animal ears headband, rolling his eyes at him. "If an elegant cake won't make you party with me, then I don't want it." he pulls Baekhyun to the sink, "Wash your hands, let's go."

He sure won't win against Jongdae. Baekhyun has no choice but to follow him. His oversized shirt makes him look out of place but he doesn't care anymore. Jongdae loses a grip of his hand when they reach the other house, his attention leaving Baekhyun to go back to hosting the small party.

Baekhyun smiles at the people who greet him, though he chooses to sit on the corner, simply smiling and observing them having fun. He can see Chanyeol going around, passing beers with a huge grin on his face. He's having fun messing around with some of Minseok's friends who probably worked at Flair in the past years too.

At least he's having fun, right?

Jongdae is clinging around Minseok's neck, placing smooches on his cheek and is obviously drunk in the midst of the party. Baekhyun already expected it though.

His best friend grabs the mic from his sister and shouts loudly, "Let's do Grab the Man!!!"

"Game for singles, Baekhyun." one of Jongdae's coworker grins at him, "Minseok has a lot of hottie friends."

Baekhyun chuckles, "No, I'll stay here."

He already had enough of this kind of game. He's not doing it again.

Jongdae whines on the mic, "I know a lot of you are sad singles, no need to pretend come on!!!"

Oh god, how drunk is he.

"Hey."

Baekhyun instinctively smiles at the person who taps him. But all he sees is Chanyeol smiling casually at him, wearing those ridiculous cat ears.

"Do you have a beer?" he asks Baekhyun but sees he's not holding one, "You want one?"

Baekhyun hates how casual and genuine he sounds. As far as he can remember, he told him he doesn't want to be friends with him so why now? Why is he acting like nothing happened? Why is Chanyeol being so nice to him?

It would be irrational to be rude when he's asking a casual question so Baekhyun can only nod. Fine then. _It's just a beer._

He goes back to watching the game, not returning Chanyeol's _kind _smile. He hears him speak more.

"Hey Luna, how about you? Do you want a beer?" Baekhyun blinks and Jongdae's coworker beside him answers. Chanyeol proceeds with every other person.

"Amber? Beer?" Baekhyun wants to chuckle. Right. He's asking everyone.

_Byun Baekhyun, he's not being nice to you. He's being friends with every person in the room. _He chuckles internally. Is this how Chanyeol normally cope up with breakup? Because if it is, it sure is convenient.

"Chanyeol...how about Chanyeol?" one of the hosts asks, "Can he join?"

The participants seem so thrilled of the idea by the way they cooed. Baekhyun falls even more silent on his seat, looking at them blankly while Chanyeol appears to be conflicted yet not disagreeing either.

Isn't it a game for singles?

Jongdae laughs and tries to pull Chanyeol himself, "Of course! Technically, he can. Come on!"

Probably everyone anticipated him to join. Baekhyun watches in disbelief. He can't believe Jongdae. He can't believe Chanyeol. And whatever the hell this feeling is, he can't believe it either.

"Let's get it on, singles!"

Baekhyun stands up and excuses himself among the sea of people. There's still a ghost of smile on his face, probably trying to keep his dignity until he steps out. He knew it. He should've just stayed and start the wedding cake. This is pointless. At least for him.

"Yeol! We just need one player! Please?"

"Nah...guys." Chanyeol shakes his head but the person he needs to convince has already gone outside, "I'll pass." his smile fades when his eyes caught the empty seat he first looked for.

Baekhyun is walking outside when he hears someone calling him.

"Baekhyun!" he sighs and forces a smile before turning around, "What...where are you going?" Jongdae asks in between heavy breaths from laughing inside. He still managed to spot Baekhyun leaving despite having so much fun there, did he?

Baekhyun shrugs so casually, "I think I'll pass, Dae." he says and dismisses the way Jongdae's shoulders droop down, "I need to start the cake."

"What the hell? It's a goddamn cake, Baekhyun. It can wait." he laughs but Baekhyun knows there's no humor in it. He's annoyed. But _fuck, _Baekhyun is annoyed too.

"I don't like to scramble things last minute, Dae. You know that." he smiles in sarcasm, "And you know I don't like parties too."

_This party you're trying to make, specifically._

Jongdae chuckles, "Is that really it?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Babe." Minseok appears behind him, "Let's go back, please?"

Jongdae looks at Baekhyun, who does the same. Minseok was just in time to butt in. Right when he immediately felt the tension between them. This is the worst time for an argument.

"Baek, you can go back to designing. It's fine." Minseok says, smiling at him. "Babe, come on."

"Fine." Jongdae says and turns around to go back inside. Baekhyun follows them with his gaze before walking back to the other house that's empty.

He feels the lump in his throat again, so he's barely looking anywhere else but his feet as he runs back inside. He doesn't spare a glance around him, directly walking to the bathroom to breathe.

He's aware. They're probably thinking he's a piece of work, and he's a diva. He's probably spoiling everyone's fun especially for the couple.

_Great. _Now he's having problems with Jongdae too. Right before the wedding. Just...how fucked is everything in his life?

He feels so heavy, and misunderstood. Baekhyun doesn't know why trying to cope up with the pain seems like an insensitive act for all the people around him. He can't have fun. What's so hard to understand about that?

Baekhyun bites his lip and repeatedly gulps. It's still hard to breathe but he can manage. He washes his face on the sink and goes out of the bathroom to continue his work. At least he has something to distract himself with.

He goes back to the kitchen counter, exhaling deep breaths. He reaches for the fondant designs he started a while ago but soon finds something beside it that got his attention.

It's a cold beer. Probably for his frustrations.

x 

You sure won't believe it, but he actually managed to get through the wedding ceremony the next day. He was able to produce the cake he planned to do. There was a little awkwardness between him and Jongdae before it started but they went back to normal when Baekhyun basically bawled his eyes out when they were pronounced married.

"Baek..." Jongdae smiles despite the tears in his eyes while both him and Minseok watch Baekhyun sobbing in front of them, "Fucking stop it...You're upstaging me."

Baekhyun can barely talk. The tears won't stop. He's happy. He's very happy for them but it seems like the days worth of pain went along with it that's why his tears are heavy.

At least. His best friend is happy. It's all that matters right now. He might've been unfortunate on his part, but seeing his friends happily in love means a lot to him.

"I-I'm just so happy for you..." he says between his cries, "I-I really a-am..."

Jongdae looks at his husband who smiles back at him. They just know him so much already.

"Yeah, you are." Jongdae chuckles before pulling him for a hug, "Come here."

Chanyeol only watches them from the other side of the room.

It's only halfway the reception party yet Jongdae has already influenced the guests, including him to drink a lot. Now Baekhyun is outside, doing finishing touches to the cake he made since it's almost the cake-slicing ceremony.

He's perspiring a lot. _Screw Jongdae. _And the cake won't even make it inside! The entrance is elevated and the trolley wouldn't get in so fast.

"Can...we just push it?" he barely remembers when he learned to speak English directly. He's going frustrated because it seems like it's going to fall.

"I think the design is falling..." he says while clicking his tongue. One of the gems is about to fall when a server pushed it a little hard, "Shit—be careful!"

"Oops."

Baekhyun looks at the person who catches it. He comes face to face with Chanyeol, who was probably walking to the area and sees their dilemma.

"Here let me help." he smiles courteously and assists them in trying to get the trolley inside the elevated entrance of the pavilion. Baekhyun watches them silently.

"There you go." the servers thank him and proceed to pushing the cake inside. Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun who's fast enough to look away, "You made the cake?"

He smiles at him and Baekhyun just had to look at him again. It's a genuine smile. Something you give to your friends, but those you're not close with. The smile you give to nice strangers you meet.

"Yes..." he nods. He can't bring himself to smile back. Chanyeol's the only one good at this. Or maybe he's simply fine already. It's only Baekhyun after all, who's been going mad for the past few days.

"It's a beautiful cake."

Baekhyun looks at him. Chanyeol's smile gets into him. It could've been annoying or irritating him, but no. It simply hurts.

"T-Thanks."

"Chanyeol what are you doing out there?" Minseok's cousin calls him, "You're doing the toast."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot."

He glances at Baekhyun before going inside.

Baekhyun takes the time to breathe some air before following. The host is already introducing Chanyeol while both Minseok and Jongdae are on the stage beside him. There are champagne glasses in their hands. Baekhyun walks back to his table.

"Uhm..." Chanyeol awkwardly smiles, playing with the glass of champagne in his hand. "So..._fuck, _Minseok knows I only do business speech."

The guests laugh. Jongdae coos and whistles, encouraging him to continue.

"Fine, Jongdae." he snorts, "Many of you may not know but Jongdae and Minseok met at my wedding, couple of years ago." he laughs when some of the guests actually gasped in surprise, "Yeah...they did."

Minseok looks at the ground while Jongdae subtly glances to where Baekhyun is. When he sees his best friend looking constipated on his seat, he lets out a sigh.

Chanyeol gulps, realizing what he said.

"Anyway...since then, my assistant had been going out on frequent dates...He texted a lot...even in meetings. He was always late." Chanyeol shakes his head, "You can tell Jongdae is naturally a good influence."

Even without a mic, Jongdae's whining is loud enough for everyone to hear. Baekhyun slightly smiles watching Minseok holding his waist close to him. It may seem romantic but he's obviously just trying to keep Jongdae from messing around.

"Since they became a couple...I never thought I'll be friends with Jongdae again. He was really mean to me in high school." Chanyeol smiles, "But I never thought these two would be the people to keep me sane two years ago. They always made sure I wouldn't do anything stupid...and that I was fine...when I was on the edge of losing myself." he pauses, "Until now I'm still very grateful to them. I don't know where I'd be right now without Minseok's phone calls to ask me if I've eaten...then proceed to making me their thirdwheel for lunches, or Jongdae constantly hitting me on the head that I almost filed a restraining order...I wouldn't have made it."

Baekhyun looks at the couple on the stage. They're both smiling, but he can see Jongdae wiping the side of his eyes. They're looking at Chanyeol with so much warmth and fondness, showing Baekhyun how much he had missed for the span of time he was away. Chanyeol found true friends in them.

Maybe that's why Jongdae was vocal about him being hurt when Baekhyun left. He witnessed Chanyeol almost going insane, and helped them through it. Baekhyun would be lying if he says he never saw a trace of opposition on Jongdae whenever their relationship is being brought up. He's aware of how toxic it was. And it's not only Baekhyun whom he cared about, but also Chanyeol. Mostly Chanyeol.

"I love you both, and I'm happy that you've finally decided to be with each other from now on. I'm the happiest person in this room because my friends are happily in love."

Minseok blows him a kiss while Jongdae tearfully mouths _we love you too _at Chanyeol.

Blinking his eyes dry, Baekhyun finally understands that both Minseok and Jongdae do not want them to be together again, because it's what they think is right. They've seen everything they've been through for the past few years. And he's not in the position to argue nor blame them.

Chanyeol is their best friend, just as he is to them. They only want the best for him too.

"What I truly wish is that...when things get difficult, don't ever get tired on working on it." Chanyeol gulps despite smiling, "Don't give up on each other, as long as you know it's still worth fighting." he chuckles, "Jesus...take it from me, okay?"

Baekhyun grits his teeth when there's this lump in his throat again.

"Now...let's raise our glasses for the newly-weds."

Everyone raises their glasses, especially the couple. But both of them look at the same direction too. And just as Jongdae predicted, his best friend has already gone to the rest room, in the middle of everyone doing a toast.

He shares a look with Minseok, who's equally concerned as him. What they don't know is that Chanyeol saw it too. His smile barely even reaches his eyes.

"Cheers." 

  
x

Baekhyun weakly sits on the pavement, in the middle of an ungodly hour, in a foreign country. The party had ended more than an hour ago. Most guests are drunk. He is drunk. But unlike them who are probably sleeping now, he's outside, trying to keep things that happened repeating in his mind and maybe reevaluate his life choices.

Liquor can only have good or drastically bad effect on him. There's no in between. That's probably why he never liked it.

He huffs a deep breath before holding his cheeks between his hands. Baekhyun spaces out again.

The wedding is over. What now?

Ah yes, he'll fly back to Korea and go back to his same old routine. It's only five days of fun anyway. He'll have to go back to his job in the hotel.

What else? Of course, get the house on his new property renovated. Get his dream house started. Then renovation of their old house. Yeah, that too.

Fix the divorce.

That simple. He has everything sorted out. All he needs to do is get them done one by one. Then he'll be fine, like what he told Jongdae...and probably everybody else that needed convincing.

He will be fine.

His dangling head tilts up. Baekhyun looks at the house across the pavement he's sitting at, specifically at the window on the second floor. The light is off like the rest of the rooms. He feels something bitter rushing down his throat. It doesn't go away.

Maybe Chanyeol is already sleeping.

How can he sleep properly? How can he do that? After doing that little speech a while ago? After being so nice for the past few days that made Baekhyun feel like absolute shit? After naming hectares of land after him then disappearing right then?

How can he sleep when Baekhyun can't even shut his eyes without thinking how he's doing? The thought actually made him chuckle.

He stares at the same window for so long, jaw hardening while thinking about how he's been keeping all the pain to himself for quite some time now. He honestly expected to see Chanyeol doing the same but instead he sees him doing better. What the fuck is that?

It won't be hard for Chanyeol to move on once they get divorced. _That is just so unfair. _Everyone is basically lining up to be with him. He has nothing to lose. While Baekhyun...what? He'll go home to his small province and pretend he made a good decision for the rest of his days.

He's always the miserable one.

Fucking self-pity. That's where he's good at. Baekhyun himself is growing tired of it. He has so many goals he wants to achieve but none of it actually solves the pain in his chest right now. What does he need to do? How much time of planning will it take? He just wants to get rid of this heavy baggage in his chest and be happy again.

Yeri was right. He's a hypocrite for pushing Chanyeol away when he still loves him. His love never even declined after so many years and that already says a lot. So what was wrong? Why couldn't he just give in?

What is wrong with him?

Baekhyun clutches his fist while staring at the empty road in front of him. He feels like dying. The pain is slowly killing him and no one even knows it. They're all having the best slumber, including the person behind all of this.

The audacity.

He clutches his phone against his pants. After pulling it out, he mindlessly goes to his phonebook and clicks on one of his speed-dials.

Like what he expected, it took a while before the call was picked up.

_"Baek...?"_ Jongdae's voice made it clear that he interrupted his sleep. He's guilty but this is something urgent for him. It's urgent because Baekhyun finally feels like doing something.

"Dae..." his voice breaks so clears his throat.

_"Why are you still awake?"_ he asks. Baekhyun hears Minseok asking from the background, being awaken by him as well.

"Dae..." Baekhyun mumbles, "Can you send me Chanyeol's number?"

Jongdae falls silent from the other line. He doesn't even hear Minseok too.

"S-Sorry..." Baekhyun stutters when he figures out how absurd it might've sounded to them, "Forget it...I'm just go—"

_"I'll send it to you."_ Jongdae says. Baekhyun nods as if he can see him, _"Baek, is everything okay?"_

"Yes..." he breathes, "Yes, thank you Dae."

He drops the call and waits for it. He receives a text from Jongdae after a minute, as if the latter still deliberated about it with Minseok. Jongdae probably didn't want to give what he asked for, if it wasn't for Minseok.

After all, he broke up with Chanyeol and asked for it.

Baekhyun contemplates on the street, staring at his phone for a while. He ends up calling the number anyway. If Chanyeol is asleep, it's fine. If he won't answer, it's fine.

He just wants to try. And he doesn't even have any idea what to say.

Baekhyun takes this time to think. _Why did he even call him for? What is he going to sa—_

_"Hello?"_

He doesn't move from where he sits, yet his grip on his phone becomes a little tight.

Baekhyun keeps on gulping, attempting to utter a word every time. He doesn't know why it's suddenly hard to speak, or why his eyes are tearing up. Maybe he just missed hearing his voice. They've been in the same place for two days but it felt so distant.

Maybe he just missed Chanyeol...and he has finally come to his senses to admit that.

_"Who's this?" _his voice is stoic, and Baekhyun understands. It's definitely weird to receive a call in the middle of the night from a random stranger, _"I'm hanging up."_

"I-It's me..."

There's a long pause from Chanyeol. Baekhyun was mumbling so he doesn't really know if Chanyeol even heard him, much more recognize who he is.

_"Baekhyun?"_

This made his tears fall completely. Baekhyun bites his lip to prevent himself from producing a sound. He tilts his head up and wipes his face.

Chanyeol was probably sleeping, and it's fine. He didn't have Baekhyun's number saved in his phone, and it's fine too. He recognizes his voice only at once, but it suddenly becomes a drive to keep him going.

Baekhyun smiles despite his continuous tears.

For the first time, he sees the good things among the others. He doesn't self-pity, nor blame Chanyeol for the simplest things. This time, he only misses him. And it's the only thing that matters.

"Y-Yes." he gulps to keep his voice stable, "It's me."

_"Is there something wrong?" _he smiles when Chanyeol immediately asked after hearing his sniffs, _"Why did you call?"_

"I'm o-outside..." he says, hiccupping in between. "Can I sleep there?"

Chanyeol doesn't answer immediately, but he can hear his steps from the other line. The smile on his face doesn't fade while he watches the same window from the house in front while the phone is still on his ear. He sees the light finally turned on, and a familiar silhouette covers it right then, looking at where he is.

_"Why are you out there?" _he barely sees Chanyeol's face from where he is but he can tell he's serious, _"It's late, Baekhyun."_

He even calls him with his complete first name. But it doesn't matter.

"I've been..." Baekhyun gulps, "they locked the house..."

Chanyeol sighs from the other line.

_"I'm calling Minseok so they can open the door."_

Naïve as ever. _It's an alibi, _Baekhyun wants to shout at him.

"Uh...Don't you have an extra bed there?" Baekhyun asks.

Chanyeol is surely bewildered. He's pausing every time Baekhyun responds.

_"Minseok's cousin shares a room with me..." _he says and Baekhyun's heart sinks. Okay. Okay, wrong chance.

"A-Ah..." Baekhyun nods, "I'll j-just call Jongdae then—"

_"Wait there."_

Baekhyun looks at him, still standing there with the phone on his ear.

_"Just...wait right there."_

The call is dropped but Baekhyun still holds his phone on his ear. He only puts it down when he sees Chanyeol walking out of the door, but he doesn't stand up from the pavement.

His heart skips a beat when Chanyeol finally stands right in front of him, looking at him seriously. Baekhyun looks up at Chanyeol while blinking rapidly.

"Have you been crying?"

Baekhyun normally denies it, especially if it's Chanyeol asking. But this time he just doesn't answer. From this time, he won't try to keep anything anymore.

Chanyeol sighs in frustration and lends out a hand for him. Baekhyun looks at it.

"Let's go. You can have the other bed."

He takes his hand so Chanyeol can pull him up to stand. As soon as he does, Chanyeol lets go of it.

"M-Minseok's cousin?"

Chanyeol walks ahead of him. The house is already quiet since it's midnight. Baekhyun clutches his own hands together in front of him while he tails behind Chanyeol.

"He lent the bed for you. He's sleeping in his girlfriend's room."

They reach the room with double beds. Baekhyun quietly watches him while he fixes the other bed for him. He doesn't know how he should tell him that it's not necessary.

He doesn't want to sleep there.

"There you go."

Baekhyun remains where he is. Both of them catch each other's gazes, and the silence becomes even more defined to ignore.

Chanyeol gulps and turns around, walking back to his own bed right beside the window. Baekhyun slowly goes to the bed prepared for him, while Chanyeol closes the window blinds.

"Y-You're leaving tomorrow?"

He sits on the edge of his bed, looking at the taller like a lost child. Chanyeol finds it even harder to pay him attention. He sure knows he'll regret it.

"Yeah." Chanyeol sits on his own bed, but unlike Baekhyun, he looks at his hands on his lap. "I have an early flight back to Seoul."

Baekhyun nods. He manages to force a small smile, "Why so fast?"

Chanyeol looks at him, wanting to beg him to stop. This isn't what he signed up for. He's trying the best he could to give him what he wants but he can't do that when Baekhyun's being like this.

"Meetings..." he says and gulps before continuing, "I might also talk to my lawyer, you know...so he can finally process and send you the documents."

Baekhyun's remains staring at him, the faint lamp reflects against his eyes. Chanyeol exhales a heavy breath.

"You should sleep now."

He looks away and grabs the comforter beside him, but from the side of his eyes, he can see that Baekhyun doesn't even move a bit.

"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun's gentle voice made it even harder for him to completely ignore him. Not when he hasn't heard this for two years.

This is the first time Baekhyun calls him like this again and it's a torture for his poor heart.

"C-Can I..." he stutters again and God knows how much Chanyeol wants to pull him and squeeze him in his arms right now, "Can I sleep there?"

He sighs, "You want us to exchange beds?"

"No, _damn._" Baekhyun grows more and more frustrated when Chanyeol plays dumb to avoid him, "I want to sleep beside you..."

"Why?" he chuckles when Baekhyun only looks at him with parted lips, unable to answer. "I don't think it's appropriate to do that, Baekhyun. Aren't we heading for divorce?"

"I honestly don't care about that." Baekhyun says with his voice trembling, "Please let me just sleep there..."

"Not until you tell me why—"

"I miss you." Baekhyun cuts him off, gets him tongue-tied. _Fuck it. Just fuck it._

Baekhyun's chest is heaving deeply. His lips protruded while he tries to keep himself from breaking down.

"I miss hugging you to sleep...you don't need to hug me back though, it's okay..." he mumbles while fiddling his fingers together, "I-I just miss embracing you again...and maybe your scent. Maybe just you, okay...I really miss you a lot."

"Stop."

It's no use for Chanyeol to act so cold when Baekhyun's already shedding tears in front of him, putting him on his weakest state. How is he able to protect the barriers he built around himself when Baekhyun alone is enough to melt it all away? How can he cry like that and tell him those words like he wasn't throwing the meanest ones just a week ago? _He's the one being unfair._

"Go to sleep, Baekhyun."

"M-Maybe...I'm trying to make up for it...because I've said a lot of mean things to you and I regret it. It kills me e-every time. S-So I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to say sorry." Chanyeol says firmly, "Stop now."

"A-And I'm just really mad t-that you're trying to get over it while I'm still here...I was stubborn and denial...Maybe I-I was jealous too. No...I'm really jealous. And I was never mad at you for nagging me at breakfast buffets..." he continuously says between sobs, "I w-was never mad at you for complaining about my cream puffs..." his voice is already strained and the exhaustion is finally drawing onto him, "I-I'll never get tired of you doing that..."

Chanyeol clenches his jaw. He's breathing heavily while trying to be the one composed between them. But it's hard.

"I've been asking myself...w-what's wrong? Why c-can't I just give in?" his breath shortens while he tries to keep his sobs, "It's just that...I-I had so many _but's...what if's..._I was so afraid to forgive you because I might never be able to put m-myself together once you leave again...I was afraid to take another risk b-but _shit..._" he breaks down completely, face stained with tears while he tries to deliver all his words, "I d-don't want you to leave again...it w-will be even more impossible for me to cope up...because you've hurt me...yet you're the only one that..." his voice breaks, "y-you're the one that makes me happy too... You're everything I want."

"Baek..."

"A-And I don't want a divorce Chanyeol..." he says incoherently between his tears, "I-I honestly think it's...a-a waste of time...let's not get divorced..."

Baekhyun finally says it. He covers his face, sniffing against them like he's ashamed. Chanyeol would probably kick him out, but it doesn't worry him anymore. The baggage has been pulled out of his chest. It's like he can breathe again.

He feels a hand holding on his knee. His hands are pulled away from his face. Baekhyun sees Chanyeol kneeling right in front of him. His eyes are glistening but his lips are curved into a smile.

"Do you mean it?" he asks under his breath, yet Baekhyun hears his voice quivering. He nods frantically.

Smiling bigger, Chanyeol pulls his nape to hug him. Baekhyun wraps his arms around him so tight, until he can feel no space. Until he can only feel his heartbeat, and his breath on his neck. Baekhyun's shoulders are heaving while he cries against his shoulder.

Chanyeol shuts his eyes, feeling the warmth he's been missing for so long, it felt like forever. There are tears in his eyes but unlike Baekhyun, he weeps them silently. He wants to keep Baekhyun's solemn peace, his hand rubbing gently against his back.

"I love you, Baek..." he mumbles against his ear while Baekhyun's embrace him more and more firmly, "M-More than anything...I'm never going to leave you again."

Baekhyun smiles and nods against his shoulder. He sure won't let him.

Chanyeol pulls away and holds his face between his hands. Their foreheads touch, and Baekhyun finally gets to look straight into his orbs without having to conceal anything.

"And I'm sorry..." Chanyeol breathes while staring at him, "for almost giving up...countless of times..."

Baekhyun shakes his head. They both almost did, so does it matter? "We won't be here right now, crying in the middle of the night if you did."

Chanyeol laughs and pulls his face for a kiss. Baekhyun circles his arms around his neck, smiling against his lips.

"No divorce?"

Baekhyun looks at him, "I can't even believe we thought about that." his hand travels back to Chanyeol's neck for another peck, "Fuck divorce."

Sealed with another, and much longer kiss is a promise. God forbid another night sleeping in different beds. This shall be the last time of apologies and countless reassuring. Those years apart should finally come to an end.

"I forgot to say I love you too."

Heaven is to finally say the truth he's been denying for so long. It's been long overdue. 


	27. 26-Don't You Ever Forget

He opened his lips, but no words came out.

His feet felt like they're sealed on the floor. Baekhyun tried to reach out and call for his name, but they only sounded like whimpers.

The same specs he remembered fixing and the polo shirt he always complimented, he was wearing them again. Baekhyun used to be so happy, but now his tears wouldn't stop.

_What is it?_

_Why are you in front of me?_

_I miss you._

His father was only a few meters away from him, looking so normal. _Looking so alive. _Baekhyun couldn't even touch him. He was desperate to hear whatever he wanted to say.

There was a small smile on his father's face, but his eyes didn't say the same. He looked like he was in pain and Baekhyun cried even more.

His hand is clutched. He parted his lips to say something but ended up closing them again. He flashed another smile at Baekhyun before turning away to leave.

Baekhyun felt like a statue. _Useless_, cause he couldn't even stop him until he's completely gone. He was mute. And it was the worst thing because all he ever wanted was to ask.

_What were you trying to tell me?_

"Baek..."

Baekhyun flinches. He opens his eyes, seeing Chanyeol's face first. The latter is looking at him in concern when he sees his bloodshot eyes. Baekhyun realizes he's been so stiff in his sleep and is now panting heavily.

"Are you okay?" he clutches Chanyeol's arm firmly while still looking so distraught. They're still in the plane, "You were whimpering in your sleep, Baek. You were stunned. Were you having a bad dream?"

Baekhyun swallows the lump in his throat before nodding. Chanyeol is obviously waiting for him to elaborate but he only looks outside the window and remains quiet for the last few minutes of the trip.

He was thinking about his father until they landed at South Jeolla. Since the day he died, this is the first time he dreamt about him. He was trying to say something, Baekhyun is sure of that. He just doesn't know what it is.

"Baby, you sure you're okay?"

Baekhyun smiles timidly when Chanyeol grasps his hand tighter in the car. He might've been worrying Chanyeol so much by overthinking. He should stop.

"Sorry, I'm just tired..." he puts their intertwined hands on his lap, "Chanyeol, you should've just went directly to Seoul. It's a waste of time sending me all the way here."

"The board can wait. I'm the boss, remember?" he grins when Baekhyun teasingly rolls his eyes. At least he looks okay now. "I don't want you to tell your family by yourself. I want to speak to them too. They might be too shocked."

_"I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS!"_

_"Babe, you're waking the whole house up. Please shut up."_

_"No Minseok, you look at them!" it was clear to Baekhyun that he isn't dreaming about the shouting but he still wouldn't open his eyes nor make a move. His last memory was being hugged by Chanyeol to sleep, it became too scary to wake up._

_It's possible that everything was a crazy dream, and Chanyeol has gone to his early flight back to Seoul to fix their divorce._

_"Minseok don't you think you have full responsibility for that loud mouth considering you got married last night?" his eyes opened in an instant when he hears the voice against his hair, "For fuck's sake, you have one job." Chanyeol groans and hugs Baekhyun tighter._

_Baekhyun smiles and closes his eyes again. It's real then._

_"Are you seeing this?" Jongdae gasps in disbelief while watching the both of them cuddled on the bed. Minseok is only shaking his head behind him with a smile on his face, trying to pull his husband out of the room again. "Please tell me it's a prank..."_

Baekhyun smiles, "Don't worry. They won't be as bad as Jongdae."

"I know. But it would still be a shock to them."

"I doubt Mom. She looked like she was only waiting for me to get my shit together. You know her instincts." he shrugs, "Yeri, maybe."

Chanyeol glances at him.

"Yeah. That's another reason." Baekhyun looks at him because of this, "I won't leave until you reconcile."

He said seriously. Baekhyun forces a smile before looking out of the window. _Hopefully._

_x_

His mother and sister are unusually silent in front of them. No one speaks from the four of them and the noise from their neighbors become even more audible.

Mrs. Ahn's lips are pursed into a thin line, as if implying something with her stares. She's obviously concealing a smile. Baekhyun had always known that his mother was never a problem. His sister, on the other hand, looks at them with an obvious gape. Her eyes demand for an answer while she looks at Chanyeol and Baekhyun respectively.

"We got back together." Baekhyun gulps nervously, "A few nights ago, after Jongdae's wedding at Sydney."

Chanyeol prevents a smile, looking at him from the side of his eyes.

Yeri widens her eyes at them, still not saying anything.

"What?" Baekhyun raises a brow, "It's not like you weren't expecting it."

"Weren't _I _expecting it?" Baekhyun's face softens when Yeri's tone raises, "Just a few weeks ago, you were shouting at my face how much you despises him. You even almost hit me. And now that's how you casually break the news because I _was _expecting it?"

Their mother worriedly glances at him, but Baekhyun gives her a reassuring look.

"Well I'm not aware that you're not over that yet and you haven't forgiven me."

Yeri chuckles, "You never even said sorry!"

"Fine! I'm sorry now, happy?"

Chanyeol reaches for his hand. When Baekhyun looks at him, his face is filled with concern and opposition. Baekhyun gulps when he realizes what he did.

"I can't believe you."

Yeri stands up from the couch and storms back to her room. Baekhyun quickly follows her, leaving Chanyeol and his mother in the living room. They can only wait for them to fix their mess on their own.

"Yeri..."

"You know hyung, I'm not mad at you for getting Chanyeol-hyung back despite your words." she says while fixing her bed, not looking at him. "I'm mad because you couldn't even do something as simple as apologize. I was hurt! I apologized to you and tried reaching out but you couldn't even do the same because according to you I never understood you!" she heaves deeply, "How hard was it to make me understand how you truly felt all those years without rubbing me off and telling me I'm too young to process it? I felt like you couldn't trust me and mom and now you give me a fucking half-assed apology!"

Baekhyun gulps, but he takes it. She's right. He never explained everything to them whatever happened throughout the years and he managed to blame them for not understanding. She has every right to be mad.

"I'm sorry." he mumbles, but still enough for her to hear. "I never thought sparing you out of my pain would result into this. I'm sorry for hurting you. You know I never intended to because you're my sister and I love you."

Yeri blinks and tears fall down from her eyes. She looks away, sniffing yet pretending to be so casual.

"That's how easy it is, hyung."

Baekhyun walks to where she is and hugs her tight. He can feel her clutching on his clothes, preventing a sob.

"I've forgiven Chanyeol because of everything you've said." Baekhyun says, "You can be a brat sometimes but you always have a point. It was annoying."

He pulls away and catches her shifting to the side to wipe her face.

"What's the use of being a top student, duh."

She looks at him, both breaking into a smile. Baekhyun locks her head in his arms again, hugging her harshly this time. It's only a matter of time before Yeri is clinging onto him like a koala to pull him down. Baekhyun starts to wrestle against her.

"Already fixed." Mrs Ahn smiles at Chanyeol when they hear constant slapping and running steps in the room, followed by laughter.

Chanyeol nods with a smile.

"I'm sorry for everything, Auntie." he takes this as a chance to talk to her seriously, "I never got the chance to say this. Thank you for still treating me like your son despite everything. Thank you for being so kind."

Mrs. Ahn chuckles, "It's all good, Chanyeol. My heart is where Baekhyun's heart is."

"You've raised such gems." Chanyeol says, "Thank you for trusting me with one of them."

She nods with a sad smile, "His father would've been so happy." she sighs, "What's your plan now then? Will the both of you go back to Seoul?"

Chanyeol's smile slightly fades, especially when he meets Baekhyun's gaze just as he's about to sit back on the couch. He looks taken aback by the question as well.

"Uh..."

"Not yet, Eomma." Baekhyun answers from behind, "I...I want to stay here."

Mrs. Ahn creases her brows, "What? You'll be apart from each other?"

"Not for too long." Chanyeol immediately says before Baekhyun could answer, "I'm just having some changes in the company so I can stay here longer. We'll see each other often."

Baekhyun nods, "I have a job too...and besides, we bought a part of the Kim's land on the upper east side. We can build my dream resthouse there every time he goes here."

Baekhyun smiles at Chanyeol.

"Okay...so where will you really settle down and start a family?" his mother reluctantly asks, "I mean...you can't keep doing that forever."

They both went silent. Baekhyun can't help thinking it's because of him. He can't make small sacrifices for the both of them.

"We still haven't talked about it." Chanyeol smiles reassuringly, "It's fine. We're not rushing." he holds Baekhyun's hand tighter, "Soon, we'll come to terms. But we won't be far away from each other for too long, I promise."

His mother slowly nods, but she looks at Baekhyun meaningfully. He can only avoid her gaze.

"Your mom always gives the best meal." Chanyeol coos as they walk to his car outside the gate. Baekhyun remains silent, "Now I can't wait to come back. I haven't even left yet."

He stops smiling when he sees Baekhyun's fallen expression. He shakes his hand.

"Hey."

"Chanyeol...am I being selfish?" he gulps when Chanyeol becomes serious, "You will have to go to such far extent just to be with me, considering you manage two large companies...and you're a very busy man, while I can't even make a small sacrifice for us. Isn't that too much?"

"No and yes." Chanyeol sighs, "You're not being selfish by doing what you love, staying at the place you love, and loving me at the same time. That is far from selfish." Baekhyun holds onto his waist, blinking rapidly. "And yes, I'm going to that far extent because I want to. I've waited for so many years just to be with you again, do you think it still matters to me?"

Baekhyun looks up at him, smiling sadly. His face is in between Chanyeol's hold.

"But imagine having to go here then Seoul back and forth..." he mutters weakly, "That would be very tiring for you."

"Imagine not being able to see you."

Baekhyun looks at him and Chanyeol gives him the warmest smile. He places a peck on his lips.

"Just weekdays, promise." Chanyeol says, "I'll even go back here on Wednesday so we can check the land together, and maybe grab some daetongbap."

Chanyeol tilts his chin up when he still looks so down.

"No one can separate us again, you have my word." Chanyeol says seriously, "I'll go back to you a thousand times, Baek. Promise."

  
  
A promise is a promise.

Seeing your husband every weekends is surely a difficult setup, but Baekhyun don't dare to complain.

Chanyeol doesn't make him feel so alone. He's always present for Baekhyun; never failing to call and ask what he's doing, squeeze a few minutes between meetings to videocall him. Baekhyun will call him and it won't take another ring for him to answer. It wasn't too long before Baekhyun eventually got used to it. It doesn't seem so lonely anymore.

"Good morning!"

The junior chefs share smiles at one another after hearing his cheerful greeting. Baekhyun is all-smiles as he walks inside the kitchen, greeting anyone he comes across and even when the greeting is doubled.

"Good day, chef?" one of them asks, "You're like a flower blooming beautifully."

"Hmm." Baekhyun only grins at them.

"I bet it's chef's love life." a junior chef teases. They all squeal when he didn't bother denying, "Ah, wow! Spill the beans, chef!"

"I'm going to spill you all this hot broth if you don't stop." he clears his throat, dismissing their teasing coos. "Get back to work!"

Baekhyun catches Kyungsoo looking at him from the corner, avoiding him as soon as he spots him. He blinks and goes to the staff room where he's very much aware the other will go too.

"Blooming beautifully like a flower..." Baekhyun turns around and true enough, sees Kyungsoo crossing his arms while standing at the door. "_Please._"

Baekhyun shrugs, "You look blooming too, Kyung."

The other chef chuckles, "I'm always blooming, I don't need to raise intrigue for it." he sounds so sarcastic but he's Kyungsoo, so Baekhyun can only shrug again. "So you're back together, I assume."

Baekhyun gulps before shrugging. He doesn't feel the need to explain, especially to Kyungsoo.

"Tss. Don't worry, I expected it." Kyungsoo says when Baekhyun plays innocent, "You were playing so hard to get, I had to do God's work by making you feel threatened."

Baekhyun stops and looks at him before letting out a sigh.

"Kyung—"

"Stop. No need to thank me...or say sorry, whatever." he raises a brow but his gulp didn't go unnoticed, "Next time, keep your beau secured if you don't have plans on setting him free. You're such a prick."

Baekhyun smiles. He knew Kyungsoo wouldn't do such thing. He might be so harsh with his words but he will never intentionally hurt Baekhyun.

"I can't believe such good-looking guys actually fall for you." Kyungsoo fakes curiosity while narrowing his eyes at him. Baekhyun laughs, "Even Mr. Jang's son is very handsome, I admit."

Baekhyun's brows cross.

"Son?" he asks, "He has a son?"

Kyungsoo looks at him in confusion. He opens his mouth to say something but Baekhyun's unusually loud ringtone reverberates in the room. Chanyeol's name flashes on the screen and Baekhyun smiles wide, making Kyungsoo roll his eyes.

"Ugh." he leaves the room.

"Good morning."

_"Morning, babe." _he hates himself for smiling too much, _"'Til what time is your shift? I'm heading to a meeting now and I'll go there instantly."_

"Really?" he can't even hide the excitement in his voice, "I'll be out at four. We can still go there and catch the sunset!"

Chanyeol laughs from the other line.

_"Alright. Can't wait to see you." _he says, _"Eat a lot, okay?"_

The call ends and Baekhyun takes another look at himself at the mirror. His uniform feels so tight.

x

Same dilemma.

It's already four fifteen in the afternoon and he can't even find something decent to wear. His shirts feel so tight. He's been gaining so much weight and it frustrates him a lot, considering how fit his husband looks. How fine he looks.

"Baekhyun!" his mother shouts outside his room. Great, now Chanyeol is here.

"Wait!"

Another ten minutes and he ends up wearing an oversized sweater. His mother gives him a weird look but he only frowns. Yeri is the only one vocal about it, like how she naturally is.

"Pft—what are you wearing?"

Baekhyun dismisses her and accepts the tight hug from Chanyeol. He gives him a quick kiss and goes back to the table to take one bite from a sandwich and lets it go instantly.

"We're going."

"Wait, aren't you eating?" his mother asks but Baekhyun only shakes his head, mouth filled with a big bite of sandwich. "Come on. Chanyeol even had two!"

Baekhyun glances at Chanyeol who's watching him seriously. He shakes his head again.

"I'm not that hungry."

"What are you wearing?" Yeri repeats mockingly.

"I'm cold!"

"It's summer."

Baekhyun glares at her, "Stop meddling with my fashion choices!" he snaps and looks at his mother who's trying to feed him, "Mom, please. We're going somewhere."

"Then just bring some!"

"I'm on a diet..." he blinks and avoids their gazes. _His clothes won't fit, okay? _"We're going, bye."

He walks ahead, not meeting Chanyeol's serious gaze as he follows to the car.

"Have you been starving yourself?"

Baekhyun frantically shakes his head.

"Baekhyun—"

"I just want to go on a diet, okay? Let's let it go and not make it a big deal."

Chanyeol stares at him. The way he hides himself in those very thick clothes already says a lot. But he doesn't want to fight on the only day they're seeing each other again, so he lets it go.

They reach the land they've bought and Baekhyun is back to his usual cheerful self. Chanyeol has to stare at his cheeks every time he smiles, they look so big and soft. He urges himself not to pinch them. He doesn't know why Baekhyun's ashamed of it.

The farmers are very welcoming to them, expressing their happiness to know they've been a couple all this time. They do not hesitate giving Baekhyun and Chanyeol the keys to the old manor up the hill, sharing a few scary stories that do not even bother them. The hill looks so small from the distance, but now that they're hiking up on it, it's a lot harder. At least for Baekhyun, who decided it was a good idea to wear sweater.

Baekhyun tugs Chanyeol's hand, which is firmly holding his. The taller looks behind at him, huffing through his lips.

"W-Wait..." Baekhyun stops while panting, "Oh...let me catch my breath first..."

Chanyeol grins wider, facing the shorter who's still trying to catch his breath from walking up to the resthouse from the foot of the hill.

From where they stand, he can already see its gate. Baekhyun exhales a deep breath, he actually didn't expect the hill to be this steep.

He looks at his husband, who's watching him with a trace of amusement. He didn't even need to exert much effort like Baekhyun had to.

Baekhyun frowns.

"I'm tired..."

Eyes narrowing, Chanyeol places a hand on his waist. "I thought you wanted to see the sunset up on the balcony?"

He nods, slightly pouting. "But I'm tired..."

"Oh..." Chanyeol's face relaxes as if he immediately figures it out, "I'm not carrying you, babe. We're literally five steps away from the gate!"

Baekhyun stands up straight, frowning as he walks ahead of him. "Of course you wouldn't. I just had to try."

He's only two steps away when he gets lifted in the air, making him scream a little. Baekhyun had to cling tighter around his neck, something in his gut made his laughter uncontrollable.

"Carry me until upstairs please baby..." Baekhyun coos while being carried and Chanyeol immediately shakes his head. Baekhyun whines and kicks both his feet against the air, laughing hysterically when Chanyeol almost lost balance and throw the both of them back to the foot of the hill.

No matter what the farmers said about the old manor being creepy, Baekhyun disagrees. It's old, yes, but looking around its interior feels surreal. Just because something has been abandoned and left unmaintained, doesn't mean it's haunted. Baekhyun wonders how many more beautiful houses have been completely dismissed just because of people's beliefs. Well he's not one of them. This is exactly what he imagined it to look like, maybe even better. The modern houses he had seen before got nothing on this.

He smiles while looking around, lips even parted in awe. Chanyeol only stands on the corner while watching him.

"I love this..." he says gently, but his voice still echoed. "I love this so much..."

"The farmers probably had a hard time maintaining it because the hill gets too slippery on rainy season. It's almost impossible to go here." Chanyeol says, "But it really is beautiful. I think this house has one of the best architectural designs here in the province."

Baekhyun can only nod, still in awe while looking at every corner.

Chanyeol smiles at this, "Wanna go upstairs?"

He takes his hand and goes all the way to the house's second floor. Their steps are quite loud, considering that the stairs are made up of wood. The whole house is actually made of both stone and wood materials.

"Chanyeol look!" Baekhyun's hand slips out of his bigger one when the former runs out of the door leading to the balcony, "Look...Oh god...that's so beautiful!"

The orange light reflects stunningly on Baekhyun's face. The setting sun is facing the balcony they're at. The wind is colder, and it only occurs to him how high the place they're at. They can see the whole wheat field below. The capitol is also visible from the distance.

"There's BEPE Chanyeol...and that part over there, it's where the old cottage was, remember?" he sighs in awe, "I can even see our old high school building here..."

Baekhyun suddenly tears up. Everything just looks and feels surreal. He can't believe he could ever see life so beautifully again.

"Let's just..." Baekhyun nods while trying to blink his eyes dry. He smiles wider when the wind blows against his face and Chanyeol is obviously staring at him on his side, "Let's do the house here, Chanyeol..."

Chanyeol immediately disagrees. _It's too high. They can design a better house right at the foot of the hill. It's too old. What if it rains a lot, how would they be able to cope up?_

He has a lot of reasons to say. After all, this is not what they planned. But Baekhyun, his husband is looking at him with his glistening eyes and hopeful smile. Chanyeol finds himself pursing his lips again.

It is what Baekhyun wants.

How can he even say no?

"Okay." he smiles warmly. Chanyeol wraps his arm around him to pull him closer, "We'll just have minor renovations. I'll have a cemented stairs built from the gate down to the hill's foot." he kisses Baekhyun's forehead, "What else?"

Baekhyun hugs him tighter, tilting his head up to look at him.

"Another balcony on the other side...I want to see the sun rising too. Can I?"

"You are the sun's biggest fan ever since." Chanyeol chuckles and kisses his nose, "Okay."

"Why?" Baekhyun tries to grin, "Don't you like it as much as I do?"

"It's too bright." or should he say, watching it brightening Baekhyun's face up is enough. It has always been. "I have my own."

Baekhyun just can't help tearing up even more. His lip quiver so he bites it while blinking rapidly. His heart is so full that it feels like bursting.

"Crybaby." Chanyeol smiles while holding him closer. Baekhyun feels his thumb wiping the side of his eyes, "What else?"

Baekhyun sniffs before shaking his head, "That's all for now...I-It's enough..." his voice breaks, "Thank you, Chanyeol..."

Chanyeol's smile fades for a while. But it soon comes back after the little gulp he made. It's overwhelming for him as well. He never thought he'll be able to hold Baekhyun like this again. It feels like a dream. Better even.

"I'm trying to make it up to you." he grins when Baekhyun grips his arm tighter, "Am I doing a good job?"

"You don't need to." Baekhyun sniffs while shaking his head, "You don't need to make up for everything..."

"I do..." Chanyeol smiles sadly, "and even if I don't, you still deserve the best. If all the shit didn't happen throughout those years, I could've still given you everything. More than all of this."

Baekhyun smiles and wipes his eyes. He tiptoes and gives Chanyeol a quick peck on the lips, "You deserve the best too."

"Hmm, yeah, I do."

Chanyeol's scrunches his nose in a teasing way. Baekhyun kisses him again.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too." he lets out a sigh when he gets another one, "Now stop...kissing me."

Baekhyun looks at him while still clutching his shirt, "Why?" he frowns, "Does my breath smell bad?"

"No, of course not. Just..." Chanyeol looks at the fields below them. Baekhyun can see his Adam's apple moving as he gulps, failing to continue.

Baekhyun's face softens. He pays no heed to Chanyeol's defiance and pulls his nape towards him again. He kisses him deep, and Chanyeol can't even pull away when both his arms are circled around his neck. And who is he kidding? He likes it too, of course.

"Jesus..." is the only thing he could say when Baekhyun pulls away for a while to catch some breath before doing it again. He can feel something throbbing in him and his breath gets labored.

Baekhyun pushes him gently, lips completely swollen. His eyes are half-lidded as they stare at Chanyeol, then runs back in the house. Chanyeol stands there in confusion, wondering why Baekhyun suddenly rushes back inside. He can hear his loud steps in the second floor and doors opening.

Chanyeol hasn't even moved from stiffly standing at the balcony when Baekhyun comes running back to where he is, victoriously smiling. He glances at the field outside before hastily pulling Chanyeol behind the balcony's door.

"The sheets are clean."

"Wha—"

His back hits the hard wall behind him, Baekhyun attacks him with another kiss. His hands are travelling down to the hem of his shirt to sneak inside of it. Chanyeol huffs against his lips when he felt Baekhyun biting his lip.

"B-Baby...this was supposed to be romantic." he says when Baekhyun begins tugging his hair, biting and licking the side of his lips.

"I didn't get the memo." Baekhyun grins close to his face, "We can still try."

"Fuck...it's dusk and we're in a creepy house." Chanyeol groans in defeat when Baekhyun moves to his jaw and neck, "We're not even sure there's no ghost here..."

Baekhyun unbuckles his belt, his eyes teasing while he flashes him a smirk.

"Are you scared?" he even managed to bat his eyes, "We're just going to have sex, they won't mind."

Chanyeol stares at him pleadingly, but Baekhyun only raises his brows.

"There are farmers down the hill, Baek. We're in a high and extremely quiet place..."

Baekhyun's lips curve even more, "You make it sound like you're going to make me so loud." Chanyeol rubs his eyes in frustration when it appeared to be a better idea for his husband. Baekhyun menacingly holds onto his waist, "I can just suck you here, can I?"

Chanyeol feels like being tested in the pits of hell while watching Baekhyun beautifully blinking his eyes at him, like his hand isn't rubbing his crotch down there.

"No shit, Baek..."

"Please baby..."

He can't count how many deep breaths he has taken. His weaknesses have already been mastered by Baekhyun and he's taking full advantage of it.

The first room across the balcony doesn't even have a proper light, except for a very old lamp on the bedside table that is already so faint. Chanyeol sat on the edge of a surprisingly clean bed, glancing around to make sure no one is watching even when he's fully aware they're alone in the house. He becomes distracted when he realizes that Baekhyun is sitting on the floor, between his legs, trying to pull his pants down while a sly curve traces his lips.

Chanyeol mutters a cuss under his breath before leaning down to kiss him again. He feels exposed when his undergarments reach his knees, and Baekhyun unapologetically pushes him away to do the job on his cock by palming and taking it in his mouth.

Baekhyun's mouth is just as warm and soft as ever. He has to lean back and hold onto the bed he's sitting at, his arms tightening every time Baekhyun bobs his head deeper. Chanyeol tries the hardest he could not to make a sound. His lips open so he can let heavy breaths out.

"Fuck." he cusses out loud when his tip reaches Baekhyun's throat. The latter takes his reactions as signs. Baekhyun does it alternately, pumping it with his hand in between sucking. He lets it out of his mouth and bites his lip while watching Chanyeol almost losing his breath in front of him, his cock twitching in his hand that's moving fast.

"Ah...fuck, _fuck_." Chanyeol shuts his eyes when he spills it out in Baekhyun's slender fingers. Baekhyun pumps it faster to help him completely finish off, getting some on his cheek.

Chanyeol comes so close to heaven, his moans getting more audible and shameless. He leans down and wipes Baekhyun's cheek with his hand, before crashing his lips against him once more. Every second that passes makes it clear to him how much he has longed for him. He didn't want to be so rush and rough about it despite being deprived for years, but Baekhyun is just making it impossible for him to hold onto his control.

He's still trying to recover when Baekhyun stands up from the floor to slide off his shirt. He's doing it so gracefully yet intensely seductive, just by the way his eyes locked on Chanyeol. The faint lamp light reflect on his eyes. Chanyeol breathes in frustration.

"Damn." Chanyeol breathes, "This is not how I imagined it to happen..."

Baekhyun smiles, pulling his pants and undies down then kicks it to the side. To be frank, Chanyeol is losing his shit. This is not how he imagined it happening again but he can't say he doesn't like it either.

Baekhyun straddles on his lap, his bare skin rubbing against Chanyeol. Chanyeol cusses more when his dick rubs against Baekhyun's ass, the latter teasingly moving against it.

"Fucking...shit, baby." he buries his face on the skin of Baekhyun's chest, huffing against it while he's continuously tortured.

"So you imagined fucking me anyway." he tilts his face up with his hand, letting their noses touch. "How?"

A groan is the only thing he can respond with. Chanyeol sucks on his collarbone, down to the center of his chest and torso. Baekhyun watches his every movement, catching his gaze every now and then.

The way Chanyeol's big rough hands handle him gently makes his shiver. Baekhyun holds his face to kiss him hard.

"Let's do it like that..." he says against Chanyeol's lips, intentionally rubbing his ass against his hard dick. "Do me like how you imagined."

Chanyeol grits his teeth and grips his ass tight.

"You're a whole fucking tease."

"Really?" Baekhyun huffs in between grinding, "Do something about it."

Chanyeol effortlessly stands up with Baekhyun straddled onto him. He exchanges both their bodies, pinning Baekhyun down onto the bed while he puts his weight over him. He stares deep into his eyes, holding his chin with his hand while putting light kisses on his lips. Baekhyun impatiently tilts his head up to try and make it deep but Chanyeol won't let him.

"You're so impatient." Chanyeol grins against his lips, "So hungry for me..."

Baekhyun chuckles, "And you're not?"

Chanyeol leaves him hanging when he stands up from the bed, eyes travelling on every corner of him.

"I want to seize it."

Baekhyun feels his eagerness growing. He's laying down, all spread out for Chanyeol's eyes to feast on. Something rushes up to his face when Chanyeol gets completely naked, yet still watching him intently.

"Y-Yeol..." he calls breathlessly. Chanyeol's hand caresses his leg, up to his waist.

"You enjoyed eating so much, didn't you?" he crawls on top of him with a smile on his face, "You've become so chunky."

Baekhyun blinks, he suddenly becomes conscious. He can feel the heat on his face.

"I've gained weight..." Baekhyun mumbles, the oozing confidence a while ago is suddenly nowhere to be found. "Is it too much? D-Don't you like it?"

Chanyeol grasps his thighs gently. There's a trace of smile on his lips. Baekhyun misunderstood what he was trying to imply and it amuses him.

"No..." Chanyeol says, faking seriousness as he leans down to kiss his face. "Because I love it. Look at your chubby cheeks..." his kisses move down to his chest and tummy, "plus this soft little tummy..."

Baekhyun smiles while watching him below him.

His breath hitches when Chanyeol kisses him on his pelvic area, intentionally near his dick. It throbs when the light tickling kisses reach the inside of his thighs.

"These chunky thighs..." his hand sneaks underneath to squeezes his ass, "and this plump ass are driving me crazier. You're never going to be on a diet again." he meets his gaze, "Your body has always been so beautiful. I hate seeing you being so insecure about it."

Baekhyun nods while gulping. Chanyeol goes back to his face to kiss him again, his other arm makes its way under Baekhyun's knees to hold his left leg up while the other traces the rim of his ass.

"_Mmhh_..." Baekhyun tilts his head back, lips parted when Chanyeol's finger rubs his hole. The latter watches the face of pleasure he makes, provoking him to dig deeper into it.

"O-Oh..." Baekhyun's brows crease, a mixture of pain and pleasure when Chanyeol's two fingers enter him raw. He can feel the roughness going in his flesh, yet it's still so good. His leg quivers when Chanyeol adds another finger, pace quickening to hit the right spot. His other hand makes its way around Baekhyun's cock, pumping it along the rhythm of his fingers in his hole.

"C-Chan—ah, _ah_..." he lets out heavy breaths through his mouth when four of his husband's fingers delve vigorously and curl inside him. Chanyeol's cock twitches against his stomach watching Baekhyun crying under him, his ass clenching around his hand. Baekhyun hugs his leg closer to his chest despite trembling. Chanyeol makes sure he's stretched enough, considering they didn't bring any lube to prep him. But Baekhyun can't wait any longer.

"_Fuck...oh, fuck me baby please." _the smaller whispers breathily. His throat feels so dry and his voice is hoarse. Chanyeol hastily removes his fingers in his hole and strokes him until cum coats his hand. Baekhyun squirms under him, spreading his legs wider as Chanyeol stands in between them. The taller male dips his knee on the bed and effortlessly lifts his thigh up to run the slit of his cock in between his ass cheeks. The precum from his tip glazes Baekhyun's hole as he slowly pushes inside.

"Shit." Chanyeol huffs, trying his hardest to keep it gentle considering they haven't done this for so long. But Baekhyun tests his patience by lifting his ass up to try thrusting against him. Chanyeol grits his teeth, watching his husband sinfully bouncing towards him while he looks at him with his glazed and half-lidded eyes, "Fuck...Baekhyun, stop."

"_Hnngh_—please..._please_ Chanyeol..."

"_Jesus..._" Chanyeol's large hands grip the sides of his waist to keep him still. He pushes a slow yet deep thrust, and Baekhyun whimpers louder. Chanyeol kneels on the bed and shifts his body upward, wrapping both Baekhyun's legs around his waist as he takes another deep thrust. He buries his face on the crook of Baekhyun's neck, his pace beginning to go faster. "_Ah_, you're so fucking tight."

He digs in and out continuously, still a little careful about his pace so he won't hurt Baekhyun. The smaller's arms are thrown around his back, face contorted beautifully despite his brows creasing in pain. Chanyeol lowers his head down to crash his lips against his parted ones, breathing against each other's mouths while Baekhyun's whimpers get louder and emphasized.

"Ah...faster!" Chanyeol follows in an instant, as if he's only waiting for him to beg. "_Faster_ baby...I-I need you so much, please..."

Chanyeol holds his weight with his arms to thrust faster. Baekhyun moans incoherently, his hands clawing against his back. Chanyeol huffs heavily and repeatedly hits the same spot until Baekhyun screams, squirting on both of their torsos while Chanyeol continues; no plans of slowing down.

Grasping both Baekhyun's ankles to pull him lower, Chanyeol's dick slides out of his hole to flip his lithe body over. Baekhyun's feet touch the floor, his cheek pressed against the bed. Chanyeol didn't think about taking his time anymore. He pushes back with the same pace he just had, cussing more profanities; watching such thick ass perfectly being rammed by his cock.

Incoherent words spill out of Baekhyun's lips. He arches his ass up to give Chanyeol more access, urging him on even more. Every bit of his body wants Chanyeol. He's been yearning long enough for this. For him.

"Fuck, oh fuck!" Chanyeol grunts through gritted teeth. His skin vigorously slaps against the smaller's bum while the wooden bed creaks. His big and rough hand can't help squeezing Baekhyun's ass, slapping it along with his deep plunges. Baekhyun clutches the sheet tighter when he feels something tightening in his gut. His scream becomes way too shameless when he reaches another orgasm, and Chanyeol prays to heaven that no one is at the foot of the hill to hear his husband or else they're doomed.

Chanyeol lets out another breathy moan. His neck and chest are flushed, he can't hold it any longer. He rams deeper inside Baekhyun that made his body inch up the bed. Another bunch of profanities leaves his lips when he cums hard inside, falling onto Baekhyun's back as his thrusts become sloppy. Cum floods out of Baekhyun's hole, trailing down his thighs.

He catches his breath against Baekhyun's skin, he places small kisses on his back. Baekhyun holds Chanyeol's hand on his waist to place them on his lips, his shoulders heaving. The taller waits for his breathing to calm down a little before slipping his cock out of him. He crawls right beside Baekhyun and rolls his body towards him. His arm wraps around Baekhyun's shoulder.

Baekhyun hugs him firmly while smiling against his chest. Chanyeol catches a glimpse of it despite the faint light.

"We soiled the sheets." Baekhyun says, yet he sounded rather happy about it.

"Yes, and now we should wash it." Chanyeol glances at his husband whose cheeks are defined by his big beam at him, "No, you should wash it...since this was your idea."

Baekhyun only smiles at him cutely, earning him a kiss from Chanyeol who can't help smiling as well.

His smile fades when Baekhyun's hand travels down...

"You're still hard..."

Chanyeol heaves, "Yes, now stop because it's all your doing."

Baekhyun smiles at him, not keeping his hand away.

"Baekhyun." Chanyeol warns, "We're not doing this here again until it's our house."

Baekhyun frowns, "No one's here."

"No." Baekhyun touches him again, "Fuck...you're possessed."

"Chanyeol..."

"Get dressed and keep that hand to yourself until we reach the mansion." the small curve reappears on Baekhyun's face. Chanyeol just had to sigh, "The farmers probably heard everything."

Baekhyun giggles, "At least they know..." he stands up from the bed, "we've already blessed the house."

Chanyeol grins.

x

They didn't wait too long before the house becomes their own too. The former owners love Chanyeol too much that they decided not to demolish the house. Baekhyun has never been so happy. Chanyeol is trying, and he is too.

His husband still goes back to Seoul every now and then, enduring the long trips and costly flights to see him as frequent as possible. It's lonely every time he's not there, but Baekhyun chose to see it as a way to focus on his job too.

What more can he wish for? This is the life he dreamed of. This is everything he has ever wanted.

Chanyeol pulls the comforter and wraps it around his naked body after making love in the mansion. Baekhyun's hair gets combed back for him to place a kiss on his forehead. He can barely open his eyes, his lids feel so heavy. Chanyeol only came back from Seoul and they already couldn't keep their hands from each other.

"Chanyeol?" he mumbles sleepily. Without opening his eyes, he knows Chanyeol is watching him. He only hears a '_hmm?' _that sounded so sweet, "I love you..."

The taller smiles with this. "Good night baby."

Baekhyun says the same thing in his prayers. Please don't ever let this end.

He wakes up the next day, smiling even before he could open his eyes. The air coming from the terrace already feels warm. Baekhyun figures out it's already late morning. He sits up from the bed and traces the empty space beside him, feeling a little disappointed.

"Chanyeol?" he calls as soon as he had put the robe on and goes downstairs, "Where are you?"

_"Morning."_ it's crazy how his heart feels so alive just by the sound of this certain deep voice, _"I didn't want to wake you up, I told them to prepare a breakfast for you."_

Baekhyun's lips protruded.

"I thought we'll eat together."

_"Hmm? We can have lunch. But eat your breakfast first."_ Chanyeol is really planning to make him bloated, _"I'm here at the site. They're already starting the renovation."_

Baekhyun gulps.

"Can you just come home? Let's just have lunch here..." he doesn't know why he suggests this out of nowhere.

_"What's the matter, babe?" _Chanyeol asks when he hears his tone, _"Don't you want to eat outside? I still can't leave the site right now."_

Baekhyun pauses, his heart suddenly beating frantically.

"Nothing..." he mumbles, "I'll just go there and bring you some food, okay?"

_"Perfect." _Chanyeol chuckles, _"I'll see you then, in a while."_

"Okay..."

_"Baek?"_

He's about to say bye when Chanyeol calls him.

"Yup?"

_"Thank you." _Baekhyun blinks. Chanyeol's voice sounds so gentle, _"And I love you."_

Baekhyun doesn't know why it suddenly brings chaos into him. His chest feels so heavy and he doesn't know why. He chooses to respond with a laugh.

"You're crazy." even laughing feels so hard, "I love you too, so so much, don't you ever forget that."

Chanyeol laughs, _"You bet I won't." _he only chuckles, _"Bye."_

Baekhyun gulps one more time.

"Bye."

He spaces out in front of his breakfast. It's suddenly hard to breathe, and his grasp on the utensils are tight.

_You're overthinking._

Baekhyun finishes his breakfast and prepares himself to leave. He went to their house first to get some clothes and also some food his mother cooked. Chanyeol will surely love it. After jokingly fighting with Yeri again, he's now headed to the site where Chanyeol is. He brought a lot of food for the other workers and farmers as well. After all, they've helped them a lot.

"Hello!" he waves at the farmers that are currently having their lunch in their headquarters, "I hope I'm not yet late...I brought some food."

They welcome him warmly like how they always do. Baekhyun sits beside them and asks how some of them are doing. They're in the middle of the conversation when they hear loud sirens from a bunch of police mobiles outside. They all stop for a second.

"What was...that?" Baekhyun asks. Majority of them look confused as well, but they only shrug afterwards.

"Probably another robbery in the capitol." Dongseok says and they all continue to eat. Baekhyun's gaze lingers outside for a short while before he decides to let it go.

"By the way Baekhyun, Chanyeol is at the old house a while ago. He was talking to some engineers and contractors. You can go there."

"Ah, yeah...I totally forgot." he smiles sheepishly, "Uh, do you have some extra plates? We're planning to have lunch together here."

A farmer hands him two clean plates. Baekhyun smiles and reaches out for them.

"Thank you—" they flinch when one of the plates slides off his hands, "_Shit—_I'm sorry! Oh God...I'm—I'm so sorry..."

His hands tremble as he kneels down to try picking the pieces up.

"Baekhyun, it's fine...you might wound yourself." one of them says, "You're shaking. Don't worry so much about it, it's just a plate." they tap his back but Baekhyun's hands won't stop trembling. He can almost hear his heartbeat in his ears.

"S-Sorry..." he stutters, "I'll replace it, promise."

"Ah, this kid. We have a lot of that, don't worry." Dongseok points at the distance, "There's Chanyeol."

Baekhyun looks behind and sees his husband at the foot of the hill, talking to some people while smiling. He breathes a little calmer. He stands up and walks to where he is.

He doesn't know why but every step he takes feels so heavy. He sees Chanyeol shaking the hands of the engineers before facing his way, his smile growing bigger when he spots Baekhyun. There's a lump in his throat but Baekhyun manages to smile back. He's looking straight into his eyes, just meters away so he walks faster.

Chanyeol opens his lips to say something but is disrupted by a gunshot and a scream of horror from the near cottage, where Baekhyun was just sitting a while ago. Baekhyun's heart stops when he catches the way Chanyeol's smile fades when their eyes meet again, along with another gunshot that seems so near. And then Chanyeol is kneeling on the ground, hand pressed on his side while blood rushes out of it.

It feels like the dream he had with his father. Everything went soundless. He almost loses his voice along with his sanity.

"CHANYEOL!"

He tries running towards where he is but he gets lifted up in the air before he could do so. The last image he saw was Chanyeol looking at him with the same fear in his eyes. Baekhyun feels his whole face getting covered by something so intoxicating. His hands are clutched tightly while he tries to fight. He screams Chanyeol's name countless of times. Afraid and desperate.

And then everything is black. 


	28. 27-Hold On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you can leave some comments too! ^^

_"We need to go. Now." his hand firmly grasped the other man's trembling one, "Come on!"_

_He stopped when he saw his eyes filled with tears, mouth parted as he let out labored breaths._

_"N-No...no..." he covered his mouth, sitting on the ground when his knees wobbled. "W-What did you do..."_

_The taller sat close to the boy, signaling the other masked men to go ahead before removing his own mask. His cold eyes bore on the crying man in front of him._

_"It was the only way."_

_Those tears-stained eyes looked straight at his own. They were once filled with warmth or mischief, but now it's only hatred._

_And he hated it. The wrath in him escalated even more. He didn't do it for himself._

_"H-How could you do that..."_

_His face softened when he heard how weak his voice was. But his lips were pursed into a thin line. He didn't show any sign of guilt._

_"I did it for you."_

_The shorter shut his eyes tight, trying to get his breathing stable. It wasn't for him. He would never accept his lies again. So right then, he shook his head and pulled his hand away from his hold, finally cutting their ties with a few strong words._

_"You're a monster."_

The bed feels like a rock, to be honest. A rock full of thorns. His back is pulsating in pain. His head is swirling despite opening his eyes slowly.

Baekhyun feels like he had been asleep for hundreds of years. The moment his eyes focused on the unfamiliar ceiling above him, his mind remained blank. It took him a while before an image reappears in his head and suddenly, his breathing gets frantic.

He looks around him with his widening eyes, lips quivering as he remembers horrifying memories. _Every _horrifying memory.

The nurses rush to where he is, holding him still as he tries to sit up and begin getting frantic.

"Ch-Chanyeol..." he breathes, eyes pooling with tears. "W-Where's Chanyeol?!"

"Sir, please don't move too much."

"I need to go! I need to see Chanyeol!" Baekhyun shoves their hands away, "LET ME GO!"

"Sir, please!"

Some men run to where they are, appearing to be security staffs. Baekhyun isn't even in a hospital. He's just in a big room. A big, familiar...

_His room. His father's house._

_In Seoul._

"Baekhyun..." someone makes his way in between the people trying to calm him down, sitting in front of him. "It's alright...you're safe."

Baekhyun's tearful eyes rounded, "Sehun?"

"We'll be fine. Leave us first." he tells the people who immediately obliged.

The said man, his friend, smiles at him with reassurance. He holds Baekhyun's face between his hands.

Baekhyun is still confused. Why is he here? How did he get here? When?

But they be damned. He needs Chanyeol.

He shakes his head, "I-I need to leave...I need to fi—"

"Baekhyun, you can't leave." Sehun says in concern, "It's not safe."

"You don't understand! C-Chanyeol...he's—"

"He killed your father, Baek."

Baekhyun shuts his lips, his brows creasing.

"No..." he shakes his head, "No, t-that's not true."

Sehun takes a deep breath.

"Legit evidences have been gathered by the police. They're all pointing at one person; Chanyeol." Baekhyun continuously shakes his head, "He was also suspicious for the past few days, the police confirmed yesterday."

Baekhyun harshly wipes his cheeks, "He will never do that."

Sehun looks at him intently.

"Baekhyun, I know you were also thinking of him as the suspect...even before you broke up and left." he says, sounding confused. "And now you're right. Chanyeol has all the reasons to kill him."

He maintains a stoic expression. He knows Chanyeol, by heart. He was telling the truth when he said he's innocent. Chanyeol can never do such thing.

Sehun gets bewildered by his response, "Baek...?"

"Why did you have to take me away like that?" Baekhyun hisses angrily, "Why did you have to kidnap me?!"

"Baekhyun?" Sehun creases his brows even more, "What are you saying? The police found you on the other side of the wheat field, unconscious."

Baekhyun falls silent. He's trying to take in too much information, and it makes him dizzier. The dots do not connect. Everything doesn't feel real.

"The police said that Chanyeol might've tried taking you with him as he escaped, but left you when he got shot." _No...he was already shot before he was taken. Baekhyun saw it. _Sehun grasps his arms, "He might've tried kidnapping you to kill you as well. You need to stay safe, Baek—"

"Stop..."

He wasn't trying to escape. Chanyeol didn't know anything. Baekhyun can still remember the fear in his eyes, the pain. His heart twists even more. Baekhyun couldn't do anything.

"Where is he?" he asks between his tears, "Where's Chanyeol?"

Sehun purses his lips, gulping as he looks down.

Baekhyun sheds more tears, "S-Sehun...Sehun, where is he?"

"I don't know, Baek..." he sighs, "the police were hunting him down since yesterday. I heard he won't surrender...and that he was already shot a few times."

Baekhyun breaks down instantly. He feels his world crashing just by hearing it. His husband doesn't deserve all of this...and now he doesn't even know if he's fine.

He needs to do something.

"Baekhyun...he was trying to hurt you." Sehun tries to catch his gaze, "He probably couldn't accept the divorce you were asking so he resorted to this."

Baekhyun gulps and avoids his eyes.

"W-Where's...my mom and sister?"

Sehun straightens up from leaning, "They're on their way here. It won't be too long before they arrive."

Baekhyun sniffs and lays down again, shifting to the other side.

"I want to rest." he says while staring into space, "Please just tell me when my family arrives."

Sehun can only sigh in defeat. He forces a smile and nods. Baekhyun hears him walking away, followed by the door closing.

He thinks. He tries so hard to think straight but his tears just won't stop. Baekhyun wants to come up with something but the pain and fear are too hard to endure. He doesn't know what will happen to him if he loses Chanyeol completely.

He swallows the lump in his throat. As he clutches his chest, realization hits him. _He can't let that happen._

Warm hand starts caressing his hair. Baekhyun opens his eyes from the little nap he took, seeing his mother sitting beside him, her face filled with concern.

"E-Eomma..."

He sits up and hugs her tight. Baekhyun tries to keep himself from sobbing again when Yeri holds his hand tight. They're both obviously worried to death too.

"You're not hurt, right?" she asks and Baekhyun shakes his head. He cautiously looks around the room and there are helpers gathered around.

"W-Where's Sehun?"

Some of them shared glances before someone answers, "At the office, Mr. Byun."

He nods, "Can you...leave us for a while?"

The helpers subtly look at each other again.

"Sorry, Sir...but we were told not to leave you."

Yeri frowns at them, not getting the point of being guarded when Baekhyun is obviously safe with them. Baekhyun nods, nonetheless.

"Okay..." he tries to look casual despite his rummaging heart, "I want to go to the balcony. Eomma, Yeri, can you help me stand?" he holds onto them.

"Sir, it's not safe—"

"I'm not going to be out for too long. I need to breathe some real air, please." he says firmly and ignores them completely. His mother and sister walk on both his sides towards the small balcony.

The helpers and security staffs couldn't do anything.

"Why are they like that?" Yeri hisses when they got outside. Baekhyun takes in some air. He felt so confined in a suffocating place since he got here, "They're treating you like a prisoner."

"I don't know." Baekhyun looks ahead, "Nothing is clear. I'm trying to figure out everything."

Both his mother and sister look at him.

"Baekhyun, what is happening?" he looks at them when his mother's voice broke, "Where is Chanyeol? We've been so worried about him..."

Baekhyun lets out a frustrated sigh. The thoughts about Chanyeol are slowly killing him.

"I-I don't know..." he grips on the terrace, "I'm so scared, Eomma...I don't know what will happen to me if..." he wasn't even able to finish his words when the lump in his throat becomes harder again.

"Baekhyung...don't say that." Yeri rubs his back, "He'll be fine. He's wrongly accused."

Baekhyun nods, "H-He is..." his gaze roams around the view of the city, hoping to get a sign that he's safe. "A-And I feel so terrible...I-I'm here, doing nothing..."

Mrs. Ahn holds his hand. She doesn't say anything but Baekhyun knows she's equally worried. Chanyeol is basically her son too.

"You should tell them." Yeri insists, "It's not right keeping you here like a prisoner. Chanyeol-hyung will never try to hurt you. No one will." she says in disbelief, "Why are they overreacting?"

Baekhyun wipes his face and straightens up. He subtly looks around to see if someone's close before facing them.

"Have you told anyone...even Sehun, about Chanyeol and I not pushing through divorce?"

They both glance at each other before shaking their heads. Baekhyun's voice is faint, almost like whispering.

Baekhyun gulps before leaning closer, still keeping it subtle.

"I need you to go back to Jeollanam-do, Eomma...Yeri..." he says firmly, "I'll be the only one staying here for a while."

"What? You're insane. We're not going to leave you!" Yeri hisses.

"Sshh." Baekhyun glances at the door again, "I'm not sitting here, waiting in vain. I need to do something for Chanyeol, but I can't trust anyone but you, and my other friends."

Yeri still looks confused but his mother is seriously staring at him.

"Why should we go back there?"

"They will surely not let me." Baekhyun says, "I need you to talk to the farmers that were there and witnessed the first shooting. They should not tell anyone about Chanyeol and me...or our land there, or the house."

Yeri shakes her head slowly, "Baekhyung..."

"No one, especially the people here, shall know that we're back together, okay? We should make everyone believe that we're still separated. That'll be easier for me to act." Baekhyun gulps, "I need you to do this for me."

Both his mother and sister went silent for a while, until Yeri sighs and nods. His mother still looks serious, but her eyes are now filled with fear and worry.

"What are you up to?" she asks, "Baekhyun...please, don't put yourself into trouble."

Baekhyun looks down at his hands grasping theirs before letting out a huge breath.

"I'm sorry..." he swallows when his voice trembles, "but I'm willing to risk everything for Chanyeol. I can't lose him...N-Not again, Eomma."

She nods and forces a smile as she hugs him tight. Baekhyun flashes a sad smile at Yeri who's watching them. She looks so conflicted and afraid yet she can't say no to him either.

"Please...p-please...just be safe, okay?" Mrs. Ahn says between embrace, "Just hold on. All of this will be over soon."

Baekhyun nods. As much as he wants to shed more tears and acknowledge his fears even more, none of these will help. This will be over soon, she's right. He'll make sure of that.

"Promise me you'll be careful, okay?" he tells them, "Whoever is behind all of this...that person is dangerous. They want us ruined completely."

His mother nods. Yeri still looks distraught so Baekhyun holds her hand, clenching his jaw as something in him ignites even more.

"They will pay for it."

x

For a couple more days, Baekhyun tries to save himself from the edge of insanity.

The effect of the drug he inhaled has been leaving his system gradually. But the fact that he’s caged in the same rooms in this house, feeling so limited, makes him weaker. It’s suddenly hard to find joy and motivation to do simple things without the life he has always wanted.

It’s hard without Chanyeol.

So when his friends came straight to where he is from their flight, Baekhyun feels like a huge burden has been pulled out of his chest. Though he’s also aware it will be shoved back into him once they leave.

They are served food in his room. The couple are both looking around; Minseok, around the room itself, while Jongdae throws a sharp look at every person around the three of them. 

"Uh, can we have a minute alone?" Jongdae can't even conceal the irritation in his voice. He clicks his tongue when the helpers in the room only look at each other, "Hello? Did you hear what I said?"

"S-Sir...we're not allowed to leav—"

"Now that we're here, you are." he snaps. Minseok touches his arm, "We're not going to harm our friend, if that's what you're worried about. You can stop treating him like a patient or prisoner. Can you do that? Or do I still need to talk to your boss?"

They all look at the ground, drowned in silence. One of them whispers something that finally got them exiting the room.

Jongdae chuckles in disbelief before facing him again. Minseok quietly looks around, brows slightly creased.

"What the fuck is this? Are you even allowed to go out of this room?"

"Only for valid reasons." Baekhyun says, "They will follow me anywhere. According to them, I'm not safe."

"That is _bullshit_." Jongdae says instantly, "Who will try hurting you? Chanyeol?"

Baekhyun immediately sits up straight with the mention of his name. Minseok stares intently at him.

"Yes. They thi—"

"Minseok!"

Baekhyun looks at his stained shirt, damped by juice from Minseok's hand. Everything in the glass spilled on his clothes.

"I'm...sorry." Minseok gulps, "Sorry...it slipped off my hand."

Both Jongdae and Baekhyun stare at him, trying to figure out what's up. Jongdae even cautiously roamed his gaze around before looking at his husband with questioning eyes.

"Let's wash it in the bathroom, we'll help you." Minseok says, sounding so rushed. He forces a laugh, "Sorry Baek."

Baekhyun is still clueless but he nods without doubt. The three of them walk to the bathroom and Minseok immediately locks the door close. He turns the faucet on.

"Babe, what's happening?" Jongdae asks when Minseok begins looking around the bathroom, tapping on some hidden corners. They only watch and wait. When he found nothing, he faces them again.

"The room is wired." he says in a low voice. Baekhyun creases his forehead in confusion, "I saw some hidden pieces on the side of the headboard, then another on the side drawer. I think they're activated."

Baekhyun and Jongdae share a look. Years of working on most of Chanyeol's hidden agendas before, Minseok is definitely knowledgeable about this.

"What the fuck..." Jongdae cusses under his breath, "Fuck, good thing we haven't said anything yet..."

Baekhyun blinks slowly.

"Who..." _no one else comes to his mind, _"Why would Sehun..."

"Basically, it's probably to know if Chanyeol calls you out of the blue. Or to know anything you're trying to hide." Minseok shakes his head, "Which is...absurd. One thing for sure is they don't trust you. You must be careful with every word you say, Baekhyun. Check everywhere first."

"I don't trust anyone here either." he gulps, "But Sehun...I don't think he would..."

"We don't know that, Baekhyun." Jongdae seriously says, "After all, he's trying to keep you on a leash. Why, right?" he sighs, "This is getting so shady..."

Baekhyun takes a deep breath, gaining the courage to ask.

"Any news about Chanyeol?"

The couple shares a look. Jongdae looks down while Minseok sighs.

"Nothing." he says gently as if it can comfort Baekhyun, "The police lost him that day...so they're still looking for him until now."

Baekhyun bites his lip, trying to keep his voice from breaking but it does, anyway.

"Please help me..."

Both Minseok and Jongdae hug him. He can't help breaking down again.

"I-I just...d-don't know what t-to do anymore...I'm so scared..." he cries against their shoulders, "I j-just want Chanyeol to be safe...I want to b-be with him again."

Jongdae holds his face.

"We will do everything, Baek. We'll help you." Baekhyun nods despite losing every bit of hope left in him, "You're not on your own on this."

"S-Someone took me when I was supposed to help him..." Baekhyun gulps, "But b-before I lost consciousness...they already shot him...I-I saw it."

Minseok shuts his eyes while Jongdae gasps. They weren't able to respond immediately, and Baekhyun knows they worry even more.

"Was it a fatal shot?" Minseok tries asking, there's fear in his eyes. "Or did you get a glimpse of the person who took you?"

Baekhyun sniffs while shaking his head, "I didn't see it...but it wasn't a police. And I think Chanyeol got shot on his waist...I saw the blood there."

They both sigh in relief, but Baekhyun can't do the same. Not when he's still worried to death.

"If the police ran after him and lost him, then he might've been strong enough to escape despite his wounds." Minseok grips his hand, "Don't lose hope, Baek. Some kind residents must've found him and mended him."

Baekhyun takes it in. _Please. _He just hopes so.

"If that's the case then someone might really try to hurt you too." Jongdae says, "Don't you think it's the reason why you're safer here?"

He blinks slowly.

"I don't know..." Baekhyun creases his brows, "This was my father's house but I feel like...I'm not safe here either."

Jongdae looks at Minseok.

"The police...do they know about this?" Minseok asks.

"No..." Baekhyun responds, "I fabricated the story. No one knows that Chanyeol and I are back together. They believed it because my story matched with my family and the witnesses."

"We're not up for interrogation 'til the day after tomorrow...we'll say the same."

"Yes." Baekhyun heaves, "I just have to find a good alibi to leave so I can act upon my plans."

Jongdae looks at him in disbelief, "Sehun won't be able to do anything if you tell him you really want to leave. He has no right."

Baekhyun nods, "Or I can explain to him. He'll surely understand..."

Minseok only stares at him.

"We'll stay at South Jeolla for a while." Jongdae says, "We'll sort out a plan to find Chanyeol without drawing attention. You stay here, everyone got their eyes on you so be careful."

Baekhyun is about to speak when Minseok interrupts, looking as if he realized something.

"Baek, you remember the witnesses of the Park's murder right?"

Baekhyun creases his brows in confusion when it's brought up out of the blue.

"Yes...last time I heard, they're still under Chanyeol's protection..." he mumbles, "Why Minseok?" he asks when he fails to see the correlation.

Minseok shakes his head.

"Nothing..." he blinks rapidly and Baekhyun is even more confused, "nothing."

Jongdae butts in to divert his attention back to the same topic, not noticing how Minseok spaces out beside them.

"You probably need to use a different number when calling us for updates too. We have to be sure." he stops when they hear the voice of a helper from outside, "Now we need to get going. We'll be back as soon as we can, Baek. Promise."

Baekhyun reaches for their hands.

"Thank you..."

Jongdae flashes a sad smile, "Fuck anyone who steals your happy ending."

Baekhyun finally smiles and hugs them tight. Someone knocks on the door that made him pull away.

"Let's go."

"Baek..." Minseok stops him, looking serious. "Never...trust anyone, aside from us and your family, okay?"

Baekhyun stares at him before nodding.

"Okay..."

Minseok sighs, "Not even Sehun, Baek...alright?"

Baekhyun doesn't respond immediately, but seeing Minseok's serious face while waiting for his answer, he ends up nodding.

x

The following days felt like hell. Baekhyun is almost sure he’s going to rot in the house anytime soon. All he hears from the news are about the case of his father. So before he could even hear something bad about Chanyeol, he’d turn the TV off. He has his phone but he barely uses it after finding out that his room is wired. He takes phone calls from his family and friends instead, taking extra precaution with his words.

Still no useful update about Chanyeol.

He knows he promised himself he’d be strong for them, but it’s just so hard. It’s difficult when he doesn’t even know how he can help him.

“Mr. Byun…” he looks at the security staff who’s holding a box, “a package for you just arrived. We already had it checked.”

Baekhyun blinks, “From where?”

“It’s from a boarding school in Berlin.” he says, “The alumni house sent some old stuff of your father, Sir…when he studied his MBA there. They sent it as soon as they heard you’re back.”

Baekhyun rushes to where he is, taking the box from his hands. He can’t help the excitement rushing through him. Just when he thought he won’t find anything about his father’s early days anymore, this came.

“Thanks!”

He looks like a kid, scanning through the things his father owned. His father might’ve been in the same age as he is now when he had these, or even younger. That thought alone made Baekhyun smile.

Most of them are films, and for once, Baekhyun wished he had a dark room to see them all. His father’s love for photography is getting more vivid to him.

Baekhyun didn’t notice the time he’s been spending on it. In the midst of going through the things, he sees a plain brown leather notebook underneath the other stuff. He creases his brows and tries reaching for it.

“Hey.”

He’s startled by the voice from the door. Sehun raises a brow at him, looking at the box on his side.

“What’s that?”

Baekhyun instinctively closes the box again, forcing a smile.

“Just some…old stuff from Dad.” he shrugs and diverts the topic, “What brings you here?”

Sehun’s eyes lingered on the box before looking at him too.

“Just came to check if you’re fine.”

Baekhyun nods, “I’m fine now.”

What a liar.

“That’s good.” Sehun seems to be convinced anyway, “I’m not going to stay longer tonight. I can see you’re starting to get well.”

Baekhyun smiles before clearing his throat.

“Hun…” he gently calls and Sehun’s face softens, “Can I go out now?”

“Baek, I told you…it’s not safe—”

“But I don’t want to be here forever. Besides…who would attack me on a daylight and in the middle of the city?”

Sehun looks at him seriously, “We don’t know about that.”

“Please, I’m going insane here.” Baekhyun pleads, “I can be guarded, fine. But I need to go out once in a while too. I need to breathe.”

The taller steps closer to him, not removing his gaze.

“Baekhyun…it’s dangerous outside. Chanyeol is capable of hurting you…like before.” he says, and Baekhyun clutches his hand on both his sides because of this. “You know I only want you to be safe, right?”

Baekhyun gulps before nodding his head, “Yes…and I appreciate that.” his voice becomes faint when he suddenly felt conscious of the man in front of him, “But I’m old enough to decide for myself too. The more I stay here…the more I get stressed.”

Sehun’s jaw hardens. He’s still seriously watching him.

“Please…”

Baekhyun hears him sigh. He looks at his watch before walking back to the door.

“Fine. But stay close to your guards. Don’t go anywhere too far.”

Baekhyun sighs in relief. He nods in agreement. For now, he’ll comply.

“And don’t try running away, okay?”

The small smile on his face disappears. And along with it, Sehun completely leaves the room.

Why would he even say such thing?

x

The next day, Baekhyun immediately seizes the freedom he missed. He’s still annoyed with the fact that too many guards are accompanying him anywhere. But he doesn’t really have a choice.

He went to a photography store and had his father’s old films developed. He doesn’t want to waste time retrieving his father’s old things and this seems like a good first step.

Then he bought Chanyeol’s perfume. Baekhyun smiled when he found it, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes. For him, this is one of the very few ways he can cope with his longingness.

He misses him a lot.

At lunch, he met Chanyeol’s lawyer and managed to have a private conversation with him in a restaurant after scolding the guards for invading his personal space when they tried following. So they stayed outside and waited for him. As Baekhyun talked to his divorce lawyer, he made sure they’re on the same page and he was relieved. The lawyer didn’t say anything to anyone about them not getting divorce. He also got advices regarding this ongoing case even if he’s only their divorce lawyer.

Baekhyun decides to visit Sehun out of the blue. And partly to thank him for everything he had done for the past few week. He asked his old secretary about Sehun’s new address since it’s the weekend and he’s probably home. What shocked him was that it’s too far from their old house and even from BEPE. Despite not feeling good about it, Baekhyun heads to the address given to him anyway. He bought some grocery first, guarded by a couple of security staffs from different corners.

He dumbly stares at the huge mansion in front of him, not certain if this is the exact address. He can’t believe Sehun moved here either. This is too big. Maybe the same size as Chanyeol’s and even bigger than his father’s house.

“Can I help you, Sir?” a security walks out of the gate.

“I’m Sehun’s friend…” he mumbles, “Is this where he lives? I’m just here to visit.”

The guard looks at him curiously, “He didn’t say he’s expecting a visit, Sir.” he says, “And he’s not here too. He left this morning.”

“Oh…I’d like to visit his Mom too? I brought her fruits.” the guard still looks suspicious and Baekhyun can’t help pulling the name card anymore, “I’m Byun Baekhyun, by the way.”

“Byun?” he’s right when the guard’s eyes widened, “Come in, Sir…”

He smiles and walks on his own inside. The guards that were tailing him surprisingly do not follow this time.

Baekhyun looks around the wide living room, gasping in awe. He can still remember how Sehun looked so contented in a very small house they were living before with his mother. He never imagined he’d ever want something this…over the top.

A helper guided him up the stairs to where Mrs. Oh’s room is. He goes inside and sees a nurse stretching her arm for her. The woman’s blank face lighted up with the sight of him, making him smile.

But this smile soon falters when the old woman’s eyes suddenly pooled with tears. She starts groaning incoherently.

Baekhyun steps back and attempts to leave but the nurse stops him, flashing a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Sir…she’s just happy to see you.” she says nicely. Baekhyun nods in relief but still remains silent, sitting on the couch beside her bed while watching her.

Baekhyun realizes one thing; _she can’t speak anymore_.

There’s a pang in his chest while watching the old woman failing to express herself, letting out groans in between her cries while she intently stares at Baekhyun.

When she calms down for a bit, Baekhyun asks the nurse when she got closer.

“Um…what happened?” he tries not sounding dumb but he failed.

“Oh, she has Multiple Sclerosis Sir.”

“Yes but…last time I saw her, she was just paraplegic…she can still speak.”

She nods, “Ah…that might be years ago. When she had another attack, she acquired a speech problem.” she sighs, “It was very unlikely but the nerve damage probably caused incoordination in her mouth and tongue muscles.”

“Oh…” _how come Sehun didn’t say a thing about this? _“Does she have a speech therapy?”

The nurse forces a smile, “Yes…but uh, there was never a progress…so Sehun had it stopped.”

Baekhyun nods, “Okay…by the way, is she allowed to eat these? I bought them for her.”

“Yes. I can wash and peel them downstairs. You can talk to her first Sir, it helps the patient a lot.”

He smiles at her as she gets the bag of fruits, leaving him in the room. Baekhyun walks to Mrs. Oh’s bed, giving her a warm smile. She doesn’t respond anything but her eyes follow Baekhyun.

“How are you, Mrs. Oh?” he touches her hand, “I’m sorry I was only able to visit now.”

This time she finally smiles, another tear falls on the corner of her eyes and her chest heaves deeply.

“The last time we saw each other was even in a bad situation. I’m sorry for that.”

Baekhyun creases his brows when she starts shaking her head frantically.

“What?” he asks when she cries again, groaning weakly. “What is it? What do you want to say?” he gulps and looks around, “C-Can you write it down?”

Baekhyun is afraid she needs something and he fails to understand.

She breathes heavily. Baekhyun can see the utmost desire in her to say something. It almost feels like the world matters on it.

Baekhyun looks at the side table to find a piece of paper and pen. He stops on his tracks when he sees an opened notebook on it, a page ripped off from it. Then he feels her holding onto his arm tight, along with a gentle tug on his coat pocket.

“Mrs. Oh…what is it?” he asks, but all she can do is cry and grip his arm. Baekhyun slowly closes the notebook and looks at her, mumbling in concern. “Did you write something? Where is it?” 

"What are you doing?"

Sehun's mother drops his hand like a hot pot. They both look at Sehun who just entered the door and is looking at them warily.

Baekhyun looks at her before gulping. His heart is racing so fast.

"Baekhyun, what are you doing here?" Sehun calmly asks without removing his eyes at him.

"J-Just..." he forces a smile, "I just wanted to visit...I thought you were here too..."

Sehun stares at his mother who's motionless on the bed, not meeting his gaze.

"I dropped by the office. I had a lot to fix for the company." Sehun says, "You should've told me you were coming."

"Ah I see..." the shorter nods. He can still feel his chest tightening in nervousness and he doesn't know why, "I wanted to see your Mom too...it's been a while."

Sehun nods, but his eyes are cold. They were drowned into a brief silence before Sehun speaks again.

"I can tell she's happy to see you too." he smiles, "Should we go outside?" he takes a small step back when Sehun walks to where he is, only to fix the comforter on his mother that is suddenly out of place.

Baekhyun glances at her in confusion but her expression is back to being blank. Just a while ago, she looked like she was desperate to express something.

"I think she wants to rest now." he flinches when Sehun speaks again, "Let's go?"

Baekhyun nods and follows him outside, glancing back at her for a few times, and she's watching him again with the same fear in her eyes until they're out of the room.

They've reached the living room when Baekhyun finally got the courage to say something.

"Your Mom..."

"Yeah...she can't talk." Sehun casually says but the pain in his voice wasn't completely concealed, "Did the nurses tell you?"

Baekhyun slowly shakes his head, "Since when?"

Sehun sighs.

"More than two years ago?" he says, "When you rushed her to the hospital..."

Baekhyun gulps, "When my father died..."

Sehun looks at him before nodding.

"She had a severe attack and she can't speak since then." he blinks rapidly, "I've asked help from different therapists but it's futile when she's not even trying anymore."

She can still move. She held Baekhyun's arm just a while ago, so she's not completely paralyzed yet. Just like how she was before.

Curiosity strikes Baekhyun, but he tries keeping most of them from Sehun.

"Was it because of trauma?"

Sehun shrugs, pouring himself a glass of liquor without facing Baekhyun.

"Who knows." he says nonchalantly, "She probably just hates me that's why she wouldn't try getting better."

"Why would your mother hate you?"

Sehun flashes him a small smile. Nonetheless, he doesn't answer anymore.

"Since you're here and you look a bit well now..." Sehun walks closer, handing him a glass of whiskey. "Let's talk about BEPE."

Baekhyun looks at the glass on his hands, then to Sehun, who's in front of him.

"What about it?" he mumbles, finding their distance a little too close.

Sehun's gaze becomes serious. Baekhyun realizes how Sehun drastically changed. Looking at him now, he fails to see his good friend years ago. It's weird. He must know why and how such one person could seem so different.

Minseok's words go back into his head.

"You should go back. Chanyeol isn't there to manage it anymore."

He gulps, "I can't..." he mutters, "N-Not now..."

"Then let me help you."

Baekhyun stares at him. He's still confused as to why it's suddenly brought up. And what help is he pertaining to, exactly?

"Help me?"

"I know you're still not feeling well to take over. You're not even fond of business and management, right?" Sehun sighs, "BEPE is in a complete chaos and I think you should know."

"And what do you reckon I should do?"

Sehun doesn't answer immediately. Baekhyun had to sip a little amount of whiskey, attempting to escape the intent gaze on him.

"Let me take over for a while." he says directly, "Until everything is sorted out...BEPE needs a President. You're the original heir so the decision is still up to you. I'm just giving you the option because I don't want you to stress over it too."

Baekhyun remains silent. He had always trusted Sehun and this shouldn't even be an argument anymore, but now he's suddenly conflicted.

The feeling becomes even worse when Sehun takes another step, reaching for his hand.

"We both want what's best for BEPE, Baek."

Baekhyun blinks rapidly. Minseok's voice becomes even clearer in his head.

_Not even Sehun, Baek...alright?_

"I...c-can I think about it?"

Sehun stares a little longer before breaking into a small smile. He lets go of Baekhyun's hand, turning away.

"I suppose you will."

Baekhyun opens his mouth to respond but his phone rings in his pocket. He looks at Sehun's back that is facing him before answering the call.

"Dae?"

"Baekhyun..."

His face softens when he hears how weak Jongdae sounded. He almost stops breathing.

"Baekhyun...t-the police c-called us..." he can't hear the next words because it was followed by Jongdae's nonstop crying. Baekhyun can barely grasp what's happening. "I-It's Chanyeol..."

One thing for sure, it feels like he's being thrown into a pool of ice. Slowly but surely, it's killing him.

"W-What..."

He heard what he had to say. Everything Jongdae told him.

But as the call ended, Baekhyun doesn't shed a tear. He's only there, frozen on his place while his hands tremble.

"Baekhyun?" Sehun looks at him in confusion.

The pain is held back, yet his fear is still there. And among all of these emotions, nothing is good.

Sehun drove him to the hospital Jongdae told him about. When they got there, Baekhyun can hear his heartbeat in his eardrums. He can feel it in his throat, as if he's going to puke it out soon. The feeling is extremely nauseating.

_"Mr. Byun, can we ask a few questions please?!"_

_"Mr. Byun!"_

_"Sir, can you give as a statement please!"_

"Please let us pass, we're not giving any statement for now." Sehun shoves anyone who's trying to block their way. Baekhyun bites his lip while being caged in his arms. The camera flashes are blinding, yet he's deaf from the noise around.

Baekhyun reaches the hospital hall and his steps are becoming heavier, but he doesn't stop nor slow down.

_Chanyeol promised._

He promised he will never leave him again, right?

The only time his pace becomes slower is when they reach the said room. And just as he expected, police are outside the cold room, gathering information. They all look at him without saying anything.

"Baekhyun, stay here."

"No." he shakes Sehun's hand away, "I want...to see him. I want to see the corpse."

He hears loud sobs coming from the room. Baekhyun stands outside the glass window, watching his two friends hugging each other inside. The lump in his throat is making it hard to breathe.

A morgue staff hands him a protective mask and he takes it without sparing him a glance.

"Baekhyun, please...he's unrecognizable."

Baekhyun looks at Sehun who's staring at him with concern. He pays no heed.

"I don't care." he gulps, "I want to see him."

The door is opened for him and he's immediately wrapped in a tight embrace. Jongdae is sobbing hard against his shoulder. Baekhyun hugs him back, but his eyes remain on the corpse covered with cloth. Minseok is still sitting on the side, spacing out and looking so distraught. Chanyeol's voice repeatedly echoes in his mind.

_I'm never going to leave you again._

"H-He was found in the c-car he used to escape..." Jongdae tries to say in between his tears, "H-He probably wasn't able to leave it u-until the explosion..._o-oh..." _he holds Baekhyun when the latter only nods without saying anything, "D-Don't look, Baek...please..."

But Baekhyun only pulls away and walks to the table. His breathing hitches but still, nothing will stop him anymore. He pulls the cloth up to see.

_Were you lying Chanyeol? I thought you'll stay with me?_

A tear finally escapes his eye before he stares at it intently. He hears Jongdae crying behind him again, facing Minseok because of the disturbing corpse underneath the cloth.

But Baekhyun doesn't budge. He looks at it, every corner no matter how burnt it is. From the head covered with another cloth, down to the familiar built of body, then to his hand. And suddenly, it's clear.

Baekhyun covers the corpse again. He steps back and sits on the corner, looking blankly into space.

"B-Baek...I'm sorry..." Minseok says while the both of them hug him tight. Minseok is crying now too. He hugs them back, his blank gaze falling onto the covered corpse again.

He won't cry.

Chanyeol holds onto his promise. He'll do the same.


	29. 28-The Same Man

"We can stay..." Jongdae weakly says, "Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?"

Baekhyun looks at him before slowly nodding. Jongdae can only look at his husband beside him who's equally silent. Both their eyes are swollen, looking exhausted and worn out.

"B-Baek..." Minseok's hand automatically falls on his back when Jongdae's voice broke once again. He hugs Baekhyun so tightly that the latter can feel his quivering shoulders, "We're here for you...w-we'll always be here, o-okay?"

He gulps when he feels the warm liquid on his shoulder, dripping down from Jongdae's eyes. Something in his chest tightens, but for now he chooses to ignore it.

"I know, Dae..." he flashes him a warm smile when the other pulls away, but it only seemed to trigger more tears for his friend. Minseok slightly tilts to the side to wipe his eyes as subtle as he could before tapping Jongdae to imply they need to go.

"Promise...we'll be back."

"Mr. Byun..."

There's still a trace of smile on Baekhyun's face when he faces one of the security staffs that called his name. The man points to the other direction of the hall.

"Park Daejung is here, Sir."

Baekhyun stares at the man who's slowly walking towards where they are, his usual cold eyes directed straight ahead. His slightly long hair is neatly tied. Baekhyun only sees him again today after so many years. The man still has the same handsome face despite his age, like his nephew. _Very much _like him. The immensely strong aura is still intimidating. But unlike the usual sly smile and gaze filled with mischief, the old man looks so worn out and unwell. His movements are obviously getting slower too.

When his gaze falls on Baekhyun, the latter can't help shivering. All his questions for the past few weeks are currently going back to his mind. Never in a million years did he expect that he'll ever grow interested in this certain person. Or that they could have any other possible connection aside from Chanyeol.

Baekhyun stares back at him, and the older surprisingly avoids his eyes, followed by a subtle gulp.

"When did he come back to Korea?" Minseok mumbles beside him, watching the same man. This is the only time Baekhyun removes his gaze from him, shrugging as response.

"And he doesn't even show devastation about what happened to Chanyeol." Jongdae grits his teeth, "Considering he was the only family left for him..."

Baekhyun doesn't answer. Once again, he follows the older man with his gaze as he goes inside the morgue. He gulps before looking at his friends.

"You should go and rest now." he tells them, "I'll be fine."

Jongdae gave him another worried look in which he only responded with a reassuring smile. The couple bade their goodbye by giving him another embrace before completely leaving.

Baekhyun watches them walking away, the guilt in his chest escalating.

Right then, he stands up and walks to the door. Baekhyun watches the person inside through small glass on the door. He's alone inside, standing stiffly beside the covered body.

He swallows the hard lump in his throat when he sees the man wiping his eyes with his hand. Half of his face is covered with a mask but Baekhyun can see his eyes glistening with tears while looking at the supposed body of his nephew. He shouldn't, but he can't help getting wrenched by this sight.

Baekhyun turns away to go back to the chair he was sitting at, silently waiting for Chanyeol's uncle to come out. One of the investigators then approaches him, an envelope in his hand.

"This is the DNA test, Sir." Baekhyun takes it, "It matched the corpse."

He lets it stay on his lap, not bothering to open and read it. He hears the door closing across him and meets the same pair of eyes when he lifted his gaze up.

Baekhyun nods once at the investigator, not removing his gaze from Chanyeol's uncle. "Thanks."

His lawyer walks up to him too. He bows at former Chairman Park before facing Baekhyun.

"Baekhyun, the cremation service is waiting for your decision."

Chanyeol's uncle looks at him though he doesn't say a word. Baekhyun keeps the conviction in his voice. He's already decided.

"I won't have him cremated."

The people around him fall silent. He can almost see the disbelief in their eyes, but he doesn't care.

"Baek?"

Baekhyun tilts his face up, making his words firmer. "I want him buried."

The lawyer blinks rapidly, "But Baek—"

"Let him decide." Chairman Park's soulless voice made them even more dumbfounded, even Baekhyun. He gulps as he tries to keep his gaze cold without blinking, "If he wants him buried, then do it."

The lawyer had no choice but to nod, and it says a lot about the authority of the said man. Baekhyun stares directly into his eyes, his stare blank.

Chanyeol's uncle blinks once before starting to walk away, a few men following him behind. Baekhyun gulps before standing up from his seat.

"M-Mr. Park..."

The man doesn't face him immediately. But it doesn't go unnoticed how he froze when Baekhyun called his name.

Baekhyun's chest heaves, "Will you be attending his funeral, if ever?"

He wants to know if he truly cares. After so many years, he finally wants to give him the benefit of the doubt; a chance to prove himself, even just on his nephew's _final _days.

Park Daejung tilts his head, his eyes landing on him. "I won't." he says directly that got Baekhyun's lips pursing, "Excuse me."

Baekhyun clenches his jaw, watching him getting farther from where he is. _Just as he expected._

x

For once, it was easy for Baekhyun to ignore the sympathetic looks he got from the maids when he got home after the burial.

He's not stupid. He knows what they say behind him. After all, his reaction about his husband's supposed death was not normal at all. They probably expected him to cry nonstop for days or lose his wits. And not having the said reaction made them think he already went completely insane.

Baekhyun can't blame them. It can be possible, if he doesn't know the truth.

It wasn't Chanyeol.

Call him crazy. What else does he want? The police confirmed it. His friends think the same. The DNA test even matched. What more does he need as proof?

But his heart says it all. He knows his Chanyeol, and that man wasn't him. Chanyeol will never give up like that, nor will he ever take off the ring identical to Baekhyun's. At this point, he already stopped worrying about what other people say or think. The most important thing is that he knows to himself that Chanyeol is still out there, alive and waiting for the chance to go back home.

One day he'll be able to see him again.

So for now, Baekhyun will act by himself. He refused to have the fake corpse cremated as respect to his true relatives, whoever they might be. It hurts lying to Jongdae, Minseok and his family but he has no other choice left. This setup began when other people decided to help him. So before any of them is harmed too, he'll stop involving them.

Baekhyun looks around while sitting on his bed. Despite everything, his chest still hurts. He feels so alone. He doesn't know how long can his courage go on. But whenever a thought about Chanyeol enters his mind, needing his help, he drops all the possible reasons to give up.

So even when he feels like dry swallowing a big pill, he still kept himself from shedding another tear. For so many years of fighting and enduring every pain, this is not gonna be the time he'll back down.

Baekhyun picks up the package of his father's old things that he was skimming through a few days ago. When he opens it, the first thing he sees is the thick brown notebook he probably threw back to the box when Sehun popped out of nowhere that night. Out of curiosity, Baekhyun opens it, thinking it's some kind of his father's old school notes.

_Byun Yeongseo_   
_September 1969_

_I turned eight last night._

Even when he expected it, Baekhyun still can't help smiling. He can picture his father getting tired of playing or studying once in a while that he decided to start a diary after his eighth birthday. He had small yet neat handwriting, almost close to Baekhyun.

He sat on the floor and leaned on the edge of the bed behind him, his smile growing wider with every entry he reads. It's crazy how much he's having fun reading random stories from a bored eight year-old in the sixties. Some pages are even too smudged for him to read. What amuses him the most is that his father seemed to enjoy writing the smallest details of his day, such as his meal or his school lesson.

But his heart soon crumples with a thought he had; his father barely mentioned about having friends. The entries on the diary skipped from months to years, the child apologizing for missing some entries because of having such a boring life in school. The entries became shorter, separated in short lines and he can imagine the little kid striving to write something interesting in his day. Baekhyun can only smile sadly.

He noticed it was always like that.

But he barely misses a page. He reads every line thoroughly, even going back once in a while with an escalating interest. It took a few more entries before he reads a slightly different content from the others.

His father was eleven, it was still a short yet well-written entry. As if he properly thought of the words to write.

_I was approached today by elf boy. I thought he didn't like me because he was always glaring since fourth grade._

_He still wasn't smiling but he asked me to help him at Math._

_I'm not really that good at math._

_But I'll help him._

Baekhyun blinks and straightens up from his seat, flipping another page where the entries became longer. The following entries suddenly contained a new name; new entries that were not solely about his father anymore.

_I still can't believe I'm secretly 'friends' with Park Daejung._

_He still wouldn't talk to me in class but I catch him smiling at my little jokes when I'm tutoring him._

_I think it's the 1st time I ever saw him smile. I think no one ever did. I always thought he was born frowning ha ha_

_Do you think we're friends?_

_I think he should smile more. And I'd like to be his friend too, I have none._

Baekhyun spaces out a little. He would be lying if he didn't think about the possibility of his father being friends with the said man after seeing those pictures from Mrs. Nam's photo album. Now that he thought about it, he forgot it at South Jeolla.

More and more entries were about this man. He became his father’s greatest companion. There was still a few skipping from time to time but his entries became longer. Baekhyun is completely focused on reading, he feels his father’s radiating happiness through the written words.

Along with all these feelings, Baekhyun is confused. Why didn’t his father mention anything when he saw him again at their wedding? Why didn’t Chanyeol’s uncle tell him about their friendship too? Or Chanyeol?

Why was it a big secret?

Baekhyun falls into a deep thought. He remembers the first time he met Chanyeol’s uncle. The way his eyes lingered on him. For a second, he thought he was mad. He didn’t understand since he was just a kid. But now he’s suddenly curious if he really was.

Because if his father and Mr. Park were best friends like what he read about, then why did the man never seem to like him?

He reads more and more. And every time, something becomes clearer to him. If anyone, Baekhyun should be the one to know what his father was going through all these years. He was more than happy. He was complete. And Baekhyun surely knows why.

_He told me he has feelings for me._

_I didn’t know what to do, or what to say, honestly._

Those were the exact same words his father had written. He was seventeen. The same age Baekhyun and Chanyeol explored going beyond the friendship they had. It’s crazy to think that his father experienced the same thing.

Baekhyun looks out for a while from reading nonstop for hours. There’s a small smile on his face when he figured out something; it was like…before them, there were another Baekhyun and Chanyeol falling in love with each other. It’s fascinating.

He chuckles every time he reads about his Dad denying his feelings when it’s so obvious. He even groans out loud when he doesn’t agree with his decisions, as if just reading a novel.

_Fuck. Obviously, you know what happened._

“Obviously.” Baekhyun snorts then proceeds. He’s already lying on the bed, face on the pillow while reading continuously. It’s now late afternoon but Baekhyun barely noticed it. He’s busy gushing over his father’s personal stories. It’s like talking to him personally again.

_My father won’t speak to me. He probably knew. He probably won’t give me the business anymore._

_I know, it’s not like it’s different from how they had always treated me._

_But this time, it’s fine. I’m finally willing to risk something big this time. If I need to run away with Daejung, then fine. Their opinions won’t matter._

Baekhyun loses his smile this time. He reads about the same thing over and over again. It becomes clear to him how hard it was for them to deal with what their families had to say about their relationship or sexuality. His heart twists with every stolen moments his father was able to tell through words. Baekhyun knows there was a lot for them, more than what written words could describe.

They were together for so long. Every long skip of the entries still had the same name on them. Baekhyun can’t believe he discovered so much about them just by simply reading. How his father found his long hair as his favorite, or how it made him even more attractive for him. Baekhyun also found out that Daejung was the one who gave him the name _Alpha _jokingly, because he was good with everything he does. How his father found it ridiculous, but ended up embracing it anyway.

And it fascinated him, drowned him into deeper depths. The way this cold pair of eyes lighted up only for him.

It was almost a new wave for him when another familiar name entered the stories. His mother. His father never mentioned how they met. Maybe he never thought of her as someone who’ll end up significant in his life. But she eventually made her way into his life. Baekhyun can see the progress of their relationship throughout the years, and it made him even happier.

Baekhyun is aware that his father only loved one person, but his mother indeed gave him things no one did. Not even Daejung.

So when a rushed handwriting and unusually short sentences greeted him on the next page, it feels wrong.

_July 26, 1991_

_Hayoon’s my best friend. But I love Daejung._

_It was a mistake_

Baekhyun isn’t stupid to know what must’ve happened. What was a mistake. _Who _was a mistake. He gulps a lump in his throat. He shouldn’t be bothered about it, but it surprisingly hurts.

The entries became fewer again. And each one was also shorter, yet drops huge weights in his chest. His father didn’t go into detail, but he knows how much pressured and hurt he was by everything. Baekhyun wishes he could give him a hug. If only he could.

His expression falls when he sees an empty page after the entry he read. Baekhyun was almost disappointed when he thought it was a last entry, but soon sighs in relief when he sees another one on the last few pages when he tried flipping each page.

Baekhyun blinks when he sees how formal and neat it was written. It had nothing of his father’s usual personal touch. The words were heavily written, as if he’s very much conflicted.

_December 8, 1993  
Berlin_

_It's been a while since I last wrote here._

_I'm in a foreign country. I don't know anyone._

_I can't talk to anyone. So I probably look like an idiot writing in my stupid old diary, and anyone might come across this and try to read it, but they won't understand anyway._

_I need to let it out because if I don't, I'll go insane. I've been keeping it for a while and it's too much. It's too much. And this is the only way to let it out._

Baekhyun holds his breath before continuing. Suddenly, something about it seems substantial. He contemplates; will his father allow him to read further? He suddenly has doubts about continuing.

But how will he know the truth if he doesn't?

So with a heavy heart, Baekhyun goes on.

_I should stay here longer...I think. Or much better, I should never go back to Korea. I don't ever want to come back. My father will be mad for sure, but if I can explain, then maybe he'll let me._

_Thoughts of Hayoon keep on haunting me. Until now, I feel very guilty. She's very close to my heart, and I can't believe she's gone for good. There are nights that I dream of her, and it kills me slowly. I let her die. I watched and did nothing._

Baekhyun's face felt ice cold. His grip on both sides of the diary becomes firmer. His heart feels like jumping off his chest.

_The exact images replay in my mind no matter how hard I try to distract myself. It's getting out of hand. I saw the shock and fear in her eyes. I saw how hard they handled her. She was begging. She was saying a name that I couldn't recognize between her pleads, saying he needed her. I was shaking terribly, and God knows how much I wanted to get out from the wall I was hiding to spare her. But I thought it would've made things worse, so I didn't._

_But you know what haunts me the most? She died at the hands of Daejung. Hayoon was killed because of me. Because he did it for me._

_It haunts me how I wasn't able to see any sign of remorse in his eyes. No sympathy or hesitance. He was so decided to kill her. And how could I accept the fact that he was thinking of me while doing it?_

Warm tears pool Baekhyun's eyes. Hard sobs escape his mouth as he gasps for air.

_The whole time, I thought I finally knew who he was. I thought he was different from what people said he was. I believed in him. I loved him beyond what everyone knew. But that moment, I couldn't look at him. I never want to look at him anymore, because all I see is murderer._

_And it goes the same to me as well. Because technically, it was my fault too, right? Daejung killed Hayoon for me._

_I made the monster he has become._

Baekhyun harshly wipes the tears on his face. He’s huffing huge and heavy breaths while flipping the remaining pages of the diary, hoping to see more explanation, but there is none. It was the last entry.

He hugs his knees close to his chest, grasping the diary between his arms. No matter how vague the details were—he finally understands. He finally knows everything that happened. And it’s nothing like he expected.

Baekhyun looks at the bedside table where the films he had redeveloped last week were placed. He hastily stands up from the floor, still shedding tears. He didn’t bother looking at them when he claimed them because he was too preoccupied. Now that he does, he immediately regrets it.

They may have been photos of his father…and the man he loved, but the last two photos are hard to figure out if he hadn’t read that entry. But they make complete sense to him. They were taken so far but he knows who was the woman lifelessly lying on the floor.

He knows the tall man standing beside her.

The same man he thought was formidable. His husband’s only family that’s left. Chanyeol’s uncle—all along, it was him. He was the reason why his father preferred to be alone for the rest of his life, refusing to open his heart to anyone again. And above anything else, he killed Baekhyun’s biological mother.

Baekhyun ends up reaching for his phone with his intensely trembling hands, dialing a number. He looks at the same picture no matter how much it pierces his heart. He thinks about the idea he always had every time he looked at his father’s old things.

He expressed so much through his photos. And this one isn’t an exception. He kept it, hoping one day someone would see and do something he failed to do.

“M-Minseok?” Baekhyun fails to conceal a sob, “I need your help…” 

x

Baekhyun keeps his face stoic as soon as he enters the investigation hall. This is the only way he could show strength. He's indeed crumbling inside but there's no way he'll show it. Not to the person who killed his Mom.

He prays to God he won't end up doing something he'll regret. Baekhyun just knows too well how wrath can make people do things, but he's not going to be one of them.

He only wants to know everything from the man himself. He wants the truth.

"Sir..." two police officers bowed at him. Baekhyun only nods once, anticipating a useful news. Baekhyun expected this to be difficult since the case has been closed for a long time. And he doubts that the man would actually own up to his crime. If not, Baekhyun prepared the evidences he gathered to be sure.

"He's in the interrogation room, Sir." Baekhyun purses his lips after attempting to say something, but was too taken aback by what he heard. "He immediately confessed about plotting the murder of Shin Hayoon."

Baekhyun stares at them.

"He didn't deny?"

The police shakes his head, "No, Mr. Byun. As soon as we found him and asked to be questioned, he agreed without a word and confessed when asked by the investigator here. We're now preparing a warrant of arrest and reports to be submitted to the court."

He isn't able to say anything immediately. He didn't expect Mr. Park to admit it, but he did, immediately even. Was he planning it already? Was he just waiting to be caught and arrested?

"Where did you find him?" Baekhyun asks before gulping.

The police blinks rapidly before reluctantly answering, "At the cemetery...Sir."

Baekhyun clenches his jaw, nodding once.

"My father's grave?"

The two police share a look before nodding at him, "Yes...Sir. Surprisingly, he was paying him a visit when we found him. He didn't look shocked to see us either."

He finds it hard to respond something. In the end, he only nods again and lets them lead the way towards the interrogation room. His hands clutch into fists as he intently stares on the floor he's walking at.

"Right here, Mr. Byun."

Baekhyun faces the one-way mirror, seeing the man he despises the most. He feels his face heating up in anger, he has to keep himself composed before being able to go in.

Park Daejung's cold eyes landed on him as soon as he enters. Though this time, the emptiness is more emphasized in them. He looks very soulless, opposed to the usual sly smiles and eyes filled with mischief before. Now he looks empty.

And Baekhyun is even angrier. He wanted and expected to see him smiling, proud of what he did because he owned up to it, right? He wanted a reason to hate him more. He didn't want to feel any bit of sympathy for this man.

He grits his teeth hard while taking the seat right across him. The older man is now staring blankly on the table, avoiding Baekhyun's piercing eyes. He can vividly remember how this man avoided him too when he went to see Chanyeol in the morgue.

Silence covers them, turns out Baekhyun was only thoroughly choosing the words to say.

"Why?"

But it's all he ever ended up with. It's all he could utter; _Why? _And it's such a broad question that can be answered through a thousand ways, but he's very much aware that this man is not stupid to not know the specific answer he's looking for.

And yet, he remains staring at the table. Unresponsive.

"Didn't you like him more than a friend? Even beyond that, right? So why?" Baekhyun's lips curved despite gritting his teeth so hard, "Why did you do such horrible things? I want to know."

His chest heaves heavily when Mr. Park finally looks at him straight into his eyes. The lump in his throat becomes harder to swallow.

"I despise you. I _want_ to hurt you, do you know that?" he hisses, "How could you face my father's grave...how could you face him after everything you did? How were you able to face _me _all those years?" he continuously asks with a sharp tone.

Park Daejung finally gulps after his words. Baekhyun's hands are slightly trembling on the table.

"You scarred my father for life. He was never able to recover. You killed my mother who did nothing wrong to you..." a tear falls from his eye as his voice quivers, "Y-You ruined my life...why?"

The man looks at him intently. Opposed to his heavy breathing, he's so much calmer.

"Think about Chanyeol as you ask me that." he finally says, "That's the same reason I had."

Baekhyun's jaw hardens. Daejung glances down at his tightening fists, but shows no sign of fear.

"Love, huh? Is that it? Cause it's bullshit." he hisses, "You don't call killing an innocent person and ruining others love. That's absurd. You're simply a psychopath and you took advantage of my father's love and kindness. You're horrible."

The side of Daejung's lips curved after his continuous words, but there's no humor in his eyes. Baekhyun doesn't remove his testing gaze from him, but the other still won't budge.

"You still don't understand a thing about it." he chuckles dryly, "He never wanted you. You were an accident. A mistake."

Baekhyun grits his teeth harder. It's crazy how he looks very much like Chanyeol, yet Baekhyun despises him with all his heart.

"And your mother was persuading him to marry her. Even got her family threatening his company. How do you think your father felt when he was happy with someone else?" his tone already sounds grim.

"So you killed her?" Baekhyun chuckles sarcastically, "That's your solution?"

"Before her family could've killed him first, I did." his jaw clenches, "He didn't believe me when I told him they were threatening his life too if he wouldn't comply. You think I would let that?" he asks, "No. I did everything I could, even reaching the heights of bringing their company down with my own. I did everything to protect him. But what did your father tell me? That she was his best friend...that I was a monster. That's how naïve he was."

Baekhyun's chest heaves heavily. He can't believe he's hearing such words from him.

"You're unbelievable." he hisses, "Why didn't you kill me too? You should've done it as well."

Daejung falls silent for a while. He looks at Baekhyun without blinking.

Baekhyun snaps, "What?"

"I had other plans for you." Baekhyun creases his brows in confusion, "I was willing to get you and give you to Yeongseo. You're his son after all." he pauses, "But your mother might've predicted it and got someone to hide you for years. And your father left me right after the incident...just like that. After everything."

"You deserved it." Baekhyun says through gritted teeth, "What did you hope for? That you'd get to raise me with him and live happily after what you did? He left you because you only think about yourself. You're selfish!"

The older grins at him, "Selfish. Yeah, I am." his jaw hardens, "That's probably why after everything, I betrayed my own family for him. My own brother, even."

Baekhyun's face softens.

"What?" he asks weakly, "What did you say? What do you mean by that?"

Park Daejung only smiles a little. Baekhyun feels his chest tightening, along with his hard grasp on the table.

"Your brother...C-Chanyeol's father..." Baekhyun breathes heavily, "Y-You..."

Baekhyun loses control as soon as he stands up from his seat, reaching over the table to grab him by the collar. His hands tremble in anger while his bloodshot eyes pierce through him.

"You killed them, didn't you?!" he shouts in so much rage, "YOU KILLED CHANYEOL'S PARENTS!"

Daejung doesn't blink an eye. He looks at Baekhyun's face flushed in anger, his eyes glistening.

"I didn't. It wasn't how it's supposed to happen. Someone didn't do what was told." he winces when Baekhyun grasps his collar tighter, "But what's done is done. Your father got his much coveted land, didn't he? He had always wanted it when we were younger, saying his father would be proud if he reached such extent of expanding the business..."

He has the same small smile, unbothered by Baekhyun crying in rage in front of him.

"If only I owned that land then I would've given it to him without question. But my older brother got it, of course. And he didn't even take good care of it." he says without remorse, "Yeongseo was probably surprised that he got the land so easily. I did that again, Baekhyun. For him. Now who were you calling selfish?"

"YOU'RE THE WORST! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR OWN FAMILY?" the police and investigators outside finally noticed what's happening and entered the room before Baekhyun completely strangles the man.

He loses all his strength as soon as the police got a hold of him to pull him away. The truth dawned upon him all at once, breaking him mercilessly.

"C-Chanyeol didn't deserve that...no one deserved all the things y-you did..." Baekhyun cries incoherently, struggling against the hands on his arms. "Tell me, did you kill my father too?!"

"I can never do that." the older says without hesitation.

"You fucking liar." Baekhyun reached the point where he refuses to believe anything that comes out of his lips, "You ruined us...y-you ruined everything! Y-You don't deserve my father!"

"No, _you _don't deserve him." Daejung says through gritted teeth, "I can't believe he loved you when you were willing to betray him for my nephew. You thought I didn't know you had a plan? All his life, he only had me. Both our families treated us like nothing. Everyone else either left or betrayed him. I didn't. I stayed." he can finally see the pain in his eyes that had always been empty, "But what did he do? He dismissed everything I've done for him. He chose to be blind and trusted the wrong people. Including you."

He's turning the tables now and Baekhyun is even more furious. He can't believe this man has the guts to point fingers when he's the one who started everything.

"He may have not come back, but it's fine. I accepted it. It's enough that I know despite of everything, he still tried protecting me too." he says as if Baekhyun isn't angry enough, "He never exposed anything to the police. He even had an idea about my brother's murder, but he didn't do anything, right? Why do you think so, Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun sniffs and shakes his head. He's suddenly reminded of the evidences he found from his father, but he refuses to accept. "Shut up...That's not true."

Park Daejung chuckles with his defiance. He leans on his seat, looking straight at Baekhyun who's struggling to get close to him again.

"How did you feel when Chanyeol dropped you because of his wrong assumption?" he asks menacingly, "It killed you, right? Good. Because that's how your father made me feel, Baekhyun. No one should understand me, but you."

Baekhyun harshly pulls his hand away from the ones holding it, his jaw hardening while he stares at him in rage.

"You'll pay for everything. I'll make sure of that. You'll rot in jail."

Daejung looks at him, smiling with his testing gaze.

"Go on. I have no one now, anyway."

Baekhyun stares at him, face stained with tears. Daejung is already back to looking at the table as if refusing to meet his gaze. He turns away and leaves.

He had to walk the farthest he could to be away from that room. It feels so hard to breathe. His heart is still beating frantically against his chest. Baekhyun weakly leans against the wall in a hidden corner, clutching his chest so tight as loud sobs escape his lips. He said he wouldn't cry. He told himself he wouldn't show any weakness, but he failed. Everything was too much for him to handle. God knows how much he wanted to take matters into his own hands that moment.

Chanyeol doesn't deserve every bad thing he's been through. Like him, he's a victim too.

x

He did what he needed to do. The police heard some of the details after all. Baekhyun wanted to make sure the man would be sent to jail. This is the justice he's been wanting for his parents, for so many years.

Still a bit traumatized, he managed to call Minseok to set a meeting with the witnesses under Chanyeol's protection. The more witnesses and evidences, the better. He only hopes that their stories will match the things Daejung told him.

It's all over the news too. Baekhyun is being followed by the press wherever he goes, desperate for a statement or interview. He declined them all. He's not in the right mind to say anything. The things he hears from the media aren't helping either. Chanyeol is being dragged into it because of what his uncle did. His name is even more stained. Baekhyun despises what he hears them saying; _it runs in the blood._

It's still halfway through another day when he decided to finally go where he's been planning to for a while now. After all that happened, he lost his courage to face him and pay a visit. But the weight in his chest only becomes heavier every passing time he succumbs into isolation in his house, so he gives it a try.

So Baekhyun sat there. For the first time in more than two years, he's finally able to visit his father's grave. And without even uttering a word, he breaks down to tears.

He expected a huge burden to be pulled out from his chest when his parents' murderer is caught. But now that he is, the questions only get worse. If that man really loved his father far beyond from what they had, then why did he do such horrible things? Why did he reach the point of killing someone he knew was important for him?

Was it even love?

_I'm letting it happen again. _Now his father's last words to him fill his mind. He finally understands. Because no matter how much Chanyeol and him love each other, the past will always haunt them too. Even when they didn't do anything. Even when it's not their fault. _And it's just so unfair._

When he's finally able to stop his overflowing emotions for a while, he looks up to the sky. Baekhyun begs the heavens to just end all the complications. Just bring his husband home.

Back to him.

His phone rings from his pocket. Baekhyun wipes his eye before pulling it out to see an unregistered number flashed on the screen. He creases his brows in confusion, quite reluctant whether he should answer it or not.

"Hello?" he did anyway.

_"Byun Baekhyun? Hi." _a familiar voice made him even more curious. He can't remember when and where exactly he heard him from, _"This is Dr. Kim, your doctor."_

Baekhyun frowns.

"Doctor?" he hasn't even visited a hospital for so long, what bull is this? "Sorry, but you might be—"

_"Doctor Kim Jongin..." _the man even speaks in a slower pace, emphasizing his name that immediately rang a bell in Baekhyun's memory. But he still isn't sure, _"Your doctor?"_

And his breath hitches along with the brief assumption that crossed his mind. He looks around first before gulping.

"A-Ah...yes, I forgot...S-Sorry."

_"We had our last checkup last..." _the man pauses, _"October 9? Do you remember?"_

Baekhyun keeps his breathing calm despite his frantic heartbeat. He nods quickly as if he can see him. Everything starts making sense when he remembers that his gadgets are all possibly wired.

Of course he remembers. It was the date of his wedding two years ago.

"Yes..."

_"Great. Now I'm just reminding you of your annual checkup." _Baekhyun doesn't have a hard time understanding. He knows this man, he's just praying that it will be about something he has always been wishing for, _"You can go to the hospital today so we can run some tests. I'll text you the address in case you forgot."_ Baekhyun can hear the sly tone from him.

"O-Okay..."

_"Good." _the man says in finality, _"I'll see you, Mr. Byun."_

The call ended and Baekhyun has to stare at his phone that's on his hand. He breathes heavily. Looking down to his watch, he bids goodbye to his father's grave and runs back to the car where his driver and guards wait, confused as to why their boss looks a little too rushed to go to an annual hospital checkup.

When he arrives at the hospital lobby, he looks around reluctantly. He realizes that the man didn't tell him exactly where to go. He's not sure whether he'll ask or keep everything confidential.

In the end, Baekhyun walks towards the receptionist area where a nurse timidly smiles at him.

"Uhm, is Dr. Kim Jongin here?"

The nurse narrows her eyes, making Baekhyun gulp. She checks on her list.

"Do you have an appointment, Sir?"

_Well fuck. _What if the man has patients to deal with? Baekhyun didn't even expect he's really a doctor.

"W-Well—"

"Ah...so you're Byun Baekhyun?" she asks while still looking down at her sheet.

Baekhyun internally cussed when he spaces out for a while, earning him a look from the said nurse.

"Yes...that's me. I'm here for my annual checkup. He's my doctor. I've had an annual checkup with him before...too."

Baekhyun gulps again when he realized he answered too much. More than anything, he sounded so defensive.

"Dr. Kim's department is on the third floor. From the elevator, walk straight then turn to the first left." she smiles but looks a little weirded out.

Baekhyun quickly bows down to thank her before walking fast to the elevator hall. He looks behind every now and then. He doesn't see anyone but still has this eerie feeling that he'll be followed wherever he goes, so he walks faster.

"_Mmhph—!" _he shrieks a little when someone pulls him to a small corner behind the elevators, leading to the emergency exit stairs. Baekhyun's mouth is covered by a warm hand. His heart beats frantically before he's able to look and recognize the man that pulled him who's wearing a face mask pulled down to his chin and a clean white coat that lengths down to his knees. Baekhyun looks at him wide-eyed while he cautiously roams his gaze around.

Baekhyun barely noticed how his eyes instantly pooled with tears. Something in his heart is jumping uncontrollably with anticipation.

"Y-You're..."

"Your bodyguards are subtly following you around, even here." the familiar sly smile comes back to his face as soon as he looks at Baekhyun who's gaping at him, "I hope you still remember me."

"You're m-my husband's friend, r-right?" Baekhyun gulps. He lets out a heavy breath of what seemed to be a relief when the other man nods. He remembered him right; Chanyeol's closest college friend.

"I was at your wedding. I'm Kim Jongin." he flashes a handsome smile yet Baekhyun is beginning to tear up while nodding frantically. For some reason, the hope he thought was gone is now in him again, completely ignited.

Baekhyun must be right this time. He wishes he is. Because he barely knew Jongin, so sneakily meeting him so suddenly has got to mean something.

"Please don't cry..." he gulps and his eyes are filled with worry when the shorter begins holding back his tears in front of him. "Don't worry so much now, okay?"

"D-Do you know something?" Baekhyun asks with so much hope, "Chanyeol wasn't the corpse we buried...I-I know it...please tell me I-I'm right."

Jongin flashes a sad smile. He then looks behind the wall where he sees two men lurking around close to where they are, as if waiting for someone. Then he looks back at Baekhyun.

"I wish I can explain but I promise I will...next time." he looks around again, "We don't have much time...you need to go. Take these stairs to the lower basement parking lot then walk to the right side."

Baekhyun looks at him with glistening eyes, listening intently.

"Walk straight ahead until you see a black Sorento, number 1293."

Jongin slips a small piece of paper in his hand and Baekhyun instinctively clutches it tight, crumpling it.

"What's going on..."

"Just...do it, okay? Give me your phone first, in case they'll try to track you." Jongin gently holds onto his shoulder while he gives it to him, "Go there now and don't stay there for too long. They're still looking for you."

Baekhyun reluctantly looks back at him, but Jongin signals him to go while keeping a look out for his bodyguards. Baekhyun gulps and steps down the stairs until he reaches the lower basement.

He walks in the silent parking lot, hearing only his footsteps as the noise. Baekhyun is now breathing through his mouth, his pace gradually getting faster as he spots the said black car from the distance. He swallows the big lump in his throat before finally opening the crumpled note in his hand, where the details he was told are written. Only this time, the handwriting twists something in his chest.

_Black Sorento. 1293._   
_Meet me there._

_I miss you._

Baekhyun lets out the sob he's been holding back. He runs as quickly as he can, shedding continuous tears until he reaches the car. When he spots someone standing on the other side, his hands go numb.

"Chanyeol..."

He runs fast to him, face crumpling in tears as he throws himself to him for a suffocating hug. Chanyeol's hoodie falls to his back when Baekhyun's arms wrap around his shoulders while his face falls on his neck.

"H-How could y-you..." he says incoherently, legs almost lifted up from the floor as Chanyeol wraps his arms around his waist, "H-How could you f-fucking do t-that...How c-could you..."

Chanyeol's face winces in pain whenever Baekhyun's hug tightens, but he doesn't let him see it. He has longed for this. They both have. He's willing to endure the wounds and bruises for it.

Seeing Chanyeol finally takes out all the burden he's been keeping in his chest lately. He knows it's possibly temporary, but it doesn't matter anymore.

Baekhyun pulls away, sniffing before holding his cheeks.

"I'm sorry..." he weakly says, "I'm sorry for...hurting you again." he sees the big gulp Chanyeol did while he avoids Baekhyun's eyes despite his face being held tight between his hands.

Baekhyun shakes his head when Chanyeol blinks rapidly, looking down while he bites his lip. It hurts him a hundred times more. He knows Chanyeol has already heard about it. And Baekhyun wishes he didn't. He's been through a lot already.

"I d-don't know if I still deserve you..."

He lets out a sigh before pulling Chanyeol by the nape to place firm kisses on his lips, "Shut up. Stop saying that." he gives him more, a lot of them. "I miss you...but I can still do it. I can still wait."

Chanyeol gives him a small smile. Baekhyun doesn't fail to notice how weak and pale he looks. He has to fight the strong urge to act impulsively and bring him home to treat and take care of him on his own.

Baekhyun holds his hand tightly. He feels even more determined to get all this over with. He has been fighting for them for so long, this is not what's going to bring his courage down.

No perfect life or man will ever deserve him more than this man in front of him. And it goes the same with Chanyeol. If it's not him, then he doesn't want it at all. He realizes that all the sacrifices will never be over, may it be big or small. And this is just one of them.

"Just wait a little more..." he smiles for Chanyeol, despite all the thoughts that have been bothering him, despite the weight in his chest.

Just thinking about parting ways again after a while, it already kills him. But why should he worry about waiting? If anything, it's his forte. In the end, this will be worth it.

"All of this will be over soon...I promise you that." he says between longing kisses.

Baekhyun had already done it. He can certainly do it again. 


	30. 29-Alright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i may not be able to reply to comments most of the time but i really appreciate them <3 they motivate and make me happy so thank u! we're almost near the end

"Does it hurt?"

The marks on his arm are still visible despite the dimmed lighting inside the car.

Baekhyun stares at Chanyeol who's silently looking down, nodding once without saying anything else. He's been awfully silent since letting go from Baekhyun's embrace. Despite being distraught and almost unresponsive, he knows Chanyeol missed him a lot too. He understands that he's still shocked.

"I-I'm sorry..."

His heart feels like crashing. But he doesn't want to show Chanyeol. The latter is at his weakest point, both physically and emotionally. It must've been tough and the recent happenings make it worse.

"What for?" Baekhyun's voice is faint.

"For worrying you..." he cries when Chanyeol finally breaks down, "A-And my uncle...m-my uncle...I'm s-sorry, Baek..."

He caresses Chanyeol's hair, tilting his face sideways to conceal his tears. This isn't the time to make Chanyeol feel worse than he's already feeling.

"Stop..." Baekhyun kisses his temple, "It's not your fault Yeol...Y-You're a victim."

Chanyeol's eyes are bloodshot, stained with tears. He looks like he's been holding in the guilt and anger for a while now and only Baekhyun could break his barriers to let it out.

"S-Still..." Chanyeol gulps, "I've d-done all the stupidity I've done to you because of all the l-lies he fed me with...I'm so ashamed."

Baekhyun doesn't say anything anymore. He only shakes his head with a reassuring smile on his face, holding Chanyeol as if saying it's fine. It's a long time ago. Baekhyun never blamed him for anything Daejung did.

"M-My dad...was never a perfect brother. B-But he loved him and even gave things up for him." Chanyeol's face crumpled in pain, "Yet he still managed to kill him in the end. I-I can't believe someone could be that cunning."

He leans down, "It's not your fault...nor mine. He loved in the wrong way, and he'll pay for that." he rubs Chanyeol's back. "He's in jail now. I'll make sure our parents get the justice deprived from them."

Baekhyun lifts his hand to place a soft kiss on it when Chanyeol calms down shortly. Chanyeol tilts his face sideways, forcing a small smile.

"Was it Jongin that found and helped you?"

Chanyeol shakes his head. He doesn't answer immediately until Baekhyun creases his brows in curiosity.

"I only called him..." Chanyeol mumbles, "Kyungsoo helped me."

Baekhyun is surprised, yet isn't able to say anything. He looks like he's trying to figure things out on his own, asking why and how in his head. Chanyeol finally looks at him because of this, smiling timidly.

"Are you mad?"

"No..." Baekhyun shakes his head, "Of course not...I'm just shocked." he answers gently, "How...?"

Chanyeol gulps before looking down on his hands again. It took him a while before responding.

"I was able to escape from the area we last saw each other. I had gunshots on both my waist and arm yet I was able to get my car. Someone was trying to run after me and take me down, I was sure of that." he slowly shakes his head, "I just don't know who might've done it."

Baekhyun tries to think of a possible suspect, but neither is he sure of it. Chanyeol spaces out for a while before continuing.

"It was days of hiding in the woods and starving myself...nothing but my spare gun with me. But I was just too desperate to live." he says under his breath. Baekhyun bites his lip, "And the same man was still after me...he found me but I was able to shot him before he could kill me. But even if I was able to see his face, he was not familiar at all. I put his body on my seat...the car exploded from the impact just as I got out of it and I used it as a way to confuse the police for a while. I escaped and that time, I was just desperate to hide and try to find you." Chanyeol looks straight ahead, "But then...I realized it was a familiar place...and that I had been there before. I recalled the night I drove Kyungsoo home before you. It was his apartment...and I didn't think twice to ask for help when I saw him coming home."

Baekhyun tries to keep himself composed even when he's obviously shaken by the story told.

"And Jongin?"

"Well...I couldn't have Kyungsoo mend my wounds for me, he's a chef after all." Baekhyun frowns a little when Chanyeol even managed to crack a small joke, "Kidding. Jongin is continuing his residency at Seoul so I begged Kyungsoo to contact him. They probably had a fight after we made his neat apartment bloody."

Baekhyun finally smiles in relief. The thought of Kyungsoo as the one saving Chanyeol makes him feel a lot better.

"You're still hiding with him now?"

Chanyeol shakes his head with a smile, "No...I've already bothered him too much. I went back with Jongin here." he reaches for Baekhyun's hand, "But he's looking after Auntie and Yeri at South Jeolla, don't worry."

Baekhyun stares at Chanyeol while the latter kisses his hand firmly. Something in his chest hurts.

"Don't ever do that again...Chanyeol." Baekhyun breathes, "Do you have any idea how scared I was when they told me you were dead? If I didn't know you too much, I would've believed that fake death. I would've gone insane now."

"That too." Chanyeol says seriously, "It was never my plan to fake my death, Baek. I used the explosion as a mere distraction for the police so I could have the time to hide. I don't know why it was confirmed as my body."

Baekhyun blinks, "What?"

"I didn't try altering the DNA result." Chanyeol looks at him directly, "Someone else did."

He gulps. It's getting clearer that the one behind this is not so distant from him.

"I'm still trying to figure it out. Whoever is behind this. I'm trying to find your father's killer too." Chanyeol heaves deeply, "It's just so hard to act when I'm trying to be invisible. Jongin and I are being careful."

Baekhyun looks at his eyes full of hope. And just like that, all the thoughts of giving up are gone.

"We're getting there. We're close to the truth, Baek."

"Who..." he gulps, "W-Who's your prime suspect?"

Chanyeol looks at him before letting out a sigh. He stares at their hands before slowly shaking his head.

"I don't want to assume until we're sure of it..." he says, "But be careful. Don't trust anyone around you, Baekhyun, if that's what it takes. It can literally be anyone."

The small phone beside Chanyeol lights up while vibrating, flashing Jongin's call on the screen. It was so quick and short. Everything went by so fast.

They share another look before Baekhyun isn't able to stop himself from hugging him tight again. Chanyeol shut his eyes while wrapping his arms around him, not knowing when he'll be able to do it again. If he'll be able to do it again. They seize it, unsure of what fate holds for the both of them.

"When can I see you again?" Baekhyun tries to keep his voice from breaking.

"S-Soon..." Chanyeol smiles against his shoulder despite his trembling voice, "But we'll see other again...for sure. W-We'll be together soon. Don't worry, baby."

Baekhyun bites his lip, embrace getting firmer.

"F-Fuck..." he gulps when he feels the warmth on his eyes, "All these shitholes just to be with you, huh?"

Chanyeol chuckles, "You're worth all the shitholes. They will be over. We'll get married again...have shitloads of babies. We'll finish that dream mansion at South Jeolla and make love there every goddamn night. Everyone else can fuck off."

Baekhyun laughs and kisses him fully on the lips. The phone vibrates and they can tell Jongin is panicking. Again, _everyone else can fuck off._

"I love you." Baekhyun breathes against his lips.

Chanyeol smiles and nods, "I love you so much, too."

Baekhyun places a few more kisses on his lips before deciding it's enough for now.

"Promise me you won't get hurt again...please."

Chanyeol smiles, "Promise." he kisses Baekhyun's hand, "Now go. Make sure your guards won't notice anything. Jongin is waiting in his clinic."

Baekhyun hops out of the car without removing his gaze from Chanyeol. His heart breaks little by little, looking at that smile on the taller's face. He doesn't know how he's able to do that.

He leans in the car to place another quick kiss on Chanyeol's face, "I love you." he says for the second time before walking away. Baekhyun tries his hardest not to look back at the car, his chest heaving. He tries collecting his breath on his way back to the hospital even when his heart beats frantically.

"You took so long..." Jongin whispers subtly when he reaches his clinic. Baekhyun mumbles a small apology before Jongin nods at him, "Your guards just left when I told them we're about to finish. Go there now and make sure to act normal."

He nods with a small smile, "Thank you, Jongin."

The taller man nods again and Baekhyun starts walking away. But he stops when his name is called.

"Chanyeol was probably being too nice and reluctant that he told you too little, right?" Jongin says seriously. Baekhyun creases his brows, "I beg to differ."

Jongin steps towards him and puts a plastic in his hand without taking his eyes off him. Inside it is a new phone with his old one wrapped tightly.

"You don't treat anyone as your friend for now, Baekhyun." his voice becomes a whisper, "The biggest enemy comes from them."

Baekhyun stares at him.

"Go now." the doctor grins at him, "See you on your next checkup."

Jongin is already gone from his sight but Baekhyun remains standing on the same spot before realizing he has to go. He spaces out on his way down and out of the hospital, gulping every now and then when the same words repeat in his head.

The guilt is filling his chest. Because a certain person comes up in his mind every time he tries to think.

x

His gaze roaming around is cautious. Making sure no one is around to see, he faces the guy once again and hands him a money envelope. This is the first time he used it.

"Within this day, I'll try reporting back to you."

Baekhyun sighs before nodding once.

"Yes please...as soon as possible. Call the other number I gave you."

The man in a jacket bows once and walks away without a word. He casually walks out of Baekhyun's office to avoid drawing attention. Baekhyun spaces out while looking at the window. He can't believe he just did that.

Days have passed and Chanyeol's words still bother him. Jongin's words, especially. He hasn't talked to anyone that much. His family and friends call him, but Baekhyun chose to keep everything that happened to himself. Now he finally decided to make another move.

And now he's wondering if it's actually wrong to hope that he doesn't get the answer he's been thinking of. He's more than afraid of it.

"Knock knock."

He turns around and sees Sehun sneaking his head in between the door with a small smile on his face. Baekhyun gulps before smiling back, rubbing his cold hands together and walking around his table.

"How's your first day back to work?" Sehun asks. He looks even more handsome, now that he shaved his growing stubble around his lips. His hair is also back to black. He looks exactly like how he was when Baekhyun first met him in this very same office. Only difference is, it doesn't feel the same anymore. He doesn't know why.

Baekhyun raises both his brows, still wearing the same smile. "Good...I actually missed it, I realize."

"Well everyone obviously feels the same." the taller says, "Plus the pile of work waiting for you too."

"_Ugh, _now you remind me." Baekhyun chuckles and walks back to his chair. Sehun remains watching him.

Soon enough, Sehun sits on the chair in front of his table.

"Just tell me if you need help."

Baekhyun flashes a small smile, "You're equally busy. Don't worry about me."

They fall silent after that. Baekhyun begins pretending to read the files on his table even when the pair of eyes watching him makes him so uneasy. He ends up giving up and looking up again to meet Sehun's gaze.

"Are you not coming back to your old job?"

Baekhyun casually shakes his head, "I already sent my resignation letter. The hotel owner immediately signed it so it's settled."

Sehun nods slowly, looking a little disappointed.

"You've always wanted to be a chef..."

Baekhyun smiles sadly, "It's fine. Maybe it's never meant for me."

The taller in front of him nods slowly, staring into space.

"Your cakes were out of this world." Sehun pauses, "You don't actually have to leave your job, you know? You can always look after the company without giving up your dream career."

Baekhyun remains looking at the papers on his hand, his subtle gulp went unnoticed.

"Both BEPE and Flair need me." he says without looking at Sehun. Baekhyun laughs lightly, "I can still bake as a hobby, no big deal."

Sehun shrugs, "Point taken."

Baekhyun continues signing, glancing at Sehun in between.

"What brings you here, by the way?"

"Hmm, I'd like to invite you for dinner."

Baekhyun looks at him.

"Dinner?"

Sehun nods timidly, "Yes, at our house. I think Mom wants to see you again."

Baekhyun blinks, "Oh..."

He starts recalling everything that happened the last time he went there. The look on his mother's face. The fear in her eyes and the words she badly wanted to say.

"So..." Sehun smiles at him when he spaced out, "Are you in?"

"S-She wants to see me?"

"Probably..." Sehun chuckles, "She was smiling when I mentioned your name."

_Smiling._

"Sure..." Baekhyun forces a smile, "I-I kinda miss her too."

"Good." Sehun grins, "You know what, you can have dinner with us every now and then. You're alone in the mansion. You will have to need some company too."

Baekhyun nods, "Okay..." an idea comes to his mind, "Uh, do you have an oven? Maybe I can bake for us...if you'd like."

Sehun smiles bigger.

"Of course. I'll tell the maids to prepare the things you'll need."

Baekhyun smiles, "Great."

He freezes when he feels Sehun's warm hand covering his cold one on the table. Baekhyun looks at it then back to him, who's staring at him warmly.

"I know it's been very hard for you for the past few weeks, Baek." he says, gulping. "But we're here for you. I'll always be here for you. You don't need to be alone through everything."

Something in Baekhyun's chest twists while looking at the sincerity in Sehun's eyes while staring at him.

Sehun sighs when he sees Baekhyun's glistening eyes. He lets his lips touch his hand, sending shivers on Baekhyun's nape for an unknown reason.

He stares straight into his eyes.

"You can open your heart again. You deserve to be happy."

Baekhyun is so taken aback that he's not even able to say anything coherent.

"S-Sehun..."

"I can wait." he says seriously, "I've always been waiting...and I'm not rushing you. I know somehow, you still love Chanyeol." Baekhyun purses his lips because of this, "But Baekhyun...he's gone."

_He's not. _Baekhyun wants to hiss but is able to stop himself. He doesn't say anything and an employee thankfully knocks and distracts them both. Sehun is called for a meeting, making him let go of Baekhyun's hand.

Baekhyun is still looking at the table, astounded.

"I'll see you later?" Sehun is back to being casual as soon as he stood up and walked back to the door, "Let's leave together at seven, after we finish both our work. Sounds good?"

He blinks and nods. Sehun's lips curved before completely going out of the room.

Still breathing a little heavy, Baekhyun reaches out for his phone and keys. He still has to meet someone, and this only motivated him even more.

x

As soon as the board meeting ends, Baekhyun doesn't go back to his office anymore. He tries his best not to be noticed as he goes down the building basement, leaving without anyone knowing. He already has his keys and other important things in his coat pocket. He drives a spare car from the parking lot since he's aware that the guards are still keeping an eye on him despite saying there's no threat anymore.

Of course there's still a threat. And they're a part of it.

Once he reaches the back a building near the supermarket he's going to, the same man he met earlier that morning is already waiting there for him.

Baekhyun cautiously looks around before completely walking closer. The guy has a small brown envelope in his hand that caught his attention.

"The geneticist admitted that it wasn't from the authorities that had the DNA test done." he tells Baekhyun as he hands him the envelope, "She said she was threatened by someone from the company itself."

Baekhyun scans every paper, the ones saying the corpse matched the DNA and the other one that says it doesn't, which is obviously the truth. He shakes his head in disgust, astonished by how the papers look so identical. It's really well-fabricated.

"Which one from the company? Did she say a name?"

The investigator looks at him before nodding. Baekhyun prepares himself as soon as he speaks, but he isn't anywhere near prepared for it, judging by the way his grip tightens around the papers.

Baekhyun is panting as he closes the car door. He looks blankly at the stirring wheel. The lump in his throat is pulsating down his chest. He feels like puking, but can't seem to let it out at the same time. His insides are whirling.

_"Jang."_

Of course. Of course it has to be him, right? He has always been the suspect, from the very beginning. But why and how? Why is he doing all of this? How was he able to do everything so successfully?

And since when did he become a part of the company?

Baekhyun gulps and tries to breathe through his mouth. He fumbles through his left pocket to look for his keys but soon remembers he put everything in the right. Though before he could even pull his hand out, he touches a paper in his pocket. He doesn't remember putting something there since morning.

Baekhyun pulls it out; seeing a small, torn out paper that's almost crumpled too. It looks like it's been there for quite some time now and he only knew about it today. An almost unreadable handwriting is on it, making Baekhyun squint his eyes a little to be able to read the words.

_See me again on Friday afternoon please. He won't be here._

Only one person comes into his mind and he knows he's not wrong. He remembers the last time he wore this exact same coat. He remembers the gentle tug on his pocket he barely noticed. And now he's cursing himself.

It's been weeks, so he wasn't able to grant her request.

But it doesn't change the fact that she's indeed desperate to tell him something. And it's not something he'll let go.

_"I think Mom wants to see you again."_

Baekhyun gulps again before letting out a huge breath. He starts his engine and drives to his next destination. His heart is still beating so frantically in his chest that he can hear it against his ears.

He's not going to let this day end without knowing the truth. _All of it._

x 

He doesn't know how his smile would look but he makes it as convincing as he can. The paper bags are firmly embraced close to his body. The gates are opening slowly and his knees are beginning to feel weak.

"Hello! I'm Byun Baekhyun." he smiles at the guard who just went outside.

"Oh...yes, Sir. You've been here before, right?" the security smiles reluctantly.

"Yup!" he makes his smile wider. "I don't know if Sehun mentioned...but we're supposed to have dinner here tonight?"

Another guard makes his way out, looking even warier than the first one. They share a look before the other one looks at his watch.

"He mentioned it, Mr. Byun. Although..." he pauses while reading his watch, "we were told you'll arrive together past seven. It's still six pm."

Baekhyun blinks rapidly.

"Oh...am I not allowed to go in?" he fakes a curious tone, "I didn't go with Sehun since he's still very busy. I thought I could go ahead because I still have to bake. See?" he slightly lifts up the bags he's holding, "I thought it's a nice surprise too..."

The guards look at each other again. The last one to go out looks at him seriously.

"We were told not to let anyone in unless Mr. Oh arrives, Sir..."

Baekhyun's lips parted, "Even me...?"

They look at each other, looking more and more conflicted on how to resolve this dilemma.

"We're really sorry, Sir..."

"Come on, I'll bake you cupcakes!"

The first guard is obviously nicer than the other one who's completely decided on not letting him in. The first one looks at Baekhyun in pity, while he makes it look like the bag in his arms are very heavy.

Baekhyun pouts a little, eyes begging.

"It's just...these bags are really heavy." he says pleadingly, "Baking will take a long time. Waiting for Sehun here would be really unproductive, don't you think? Please..."

The first guard smiles at him, making Baekhyun's eyes almost light up with hope.

"I can just ask Mr. Oh right now, Sir. He told us to call when it's important." he says nicely, "I'm sure he'll agree. Just wait there..."

The smile on Baekhyun's face fades off. He wasn't able to stop him when the guards already walk back inside the gate, leaving him cussing under his breath. _Fuck. Fuck. Now he has to do it quickly._

He's still thinking of alternative ways when his other phone vibrates in his coat. Jongin's name flashes on the screen and Baekhyun immediately answers it.

_"Baek, where are you?"_

"Chanyeol?" he whispers under his breath, "Can I just call you later? I'm doing something important."

_"No. Listen...this is really important too." _the gate opens again, and Baekhyun's eyes widen.

"Later, babe. Please. I'll call you, promise."

He ends the call as fast as he could. The guard goes out of the gate and Baekhyun flashes the same big smile again.

"Mr. Oh said it's okay, Sir. You can start baking inside." he tells Baekhyun with a smile, "Although he'll arrive later."

"Sure. It's fine. We can wait for him before eating." he almost sighs in relief, "Thank you!"

Baekhyun keeps the smile on his face while walking inside. It only falters when the helpers that carried his groceries had already gone back outside and he's left alone in the huge kitchen. He suspiciously looks around, looking for some sign of cameras. If Sehun had him wired then it's not impossible to do it in his own house. When Baekhyun is accompanied by the house cooks, he's left with no choice but to converse with them first while starting to bake.

It took him a few more minutes before he finished mixing. He glances at the room upstairs every now and then, watching out for some other presence that could hinder his plans.

He gets a glass of water to try keeping himself calm. When the other cooks look so invested on their jobs, he takes this as a chance to leave.

"Where's the bathroom?" he smiles at one of them.

"Turn left, near the stairs." an old cook tells him.

This fake smile fades again and Baekhyun has his game face on as soon as he reaches the stairs. The huge mansion is eerily quiet and he has to try keeping his footsteps as silent as he could.

He sighs in relief when he turns the knob and the door opens. The light inside is already dimmed. A sleeping woman on the chair is the first person he sees. Her position looks so uncomfortable.

Baekhyun's gaze moves to the person lying on the bed, sleeping soundly. She still looks as frail as she was when he last saw her. He takes this chance to get both their attentions.

He sneezes loud enough for the nurse to flinch from her sleep. She stands up in an instant, as if she was just caught doing a crime. Her bloodshot eyes from sleeping are looking at Baekhyun in surprise.

"S-Sir—"

"Sorry!" Baekhyun says sheepishly, "Oh, you're the nurse before right? When I visited?"

The nurse squints her puffy eyes, trying to recognize him. When she does, she sighs in relief.

"Ah...yes, I remember. Baekhyun, right?" she smiles, "Sorry you had to see me like that...I haven't had a proper sleep for a while now..."

Baekhyun glances sideways where Sehun's mother is lying down. She's now awake, looking at Baekhyun and obviously surprised. Although she looks more composed this time than how she was last time.

"What time are you supposed to go home?"

The nurse shrugs, "As soon as Sehun arrives...so usually, it's really late."

Baekhyun gulps.

"You know what...you look like you really need a sleep now." he says, sounding concerned. "Sehun is on his way home because we're having dinner here tonight."

He sees the way her eyes light up, "Really?"

"Yeah. You can go ahead. I'll look after her first while we wait for Sehun." he says reassuringly.

Just as Baekhyun expected, she rushes towards her bag and almost runs to the door, really in need of sleep. Baekhyun just had to take advantage.

"Thank you...you'll tell Sehun too, right?"

Baekhyun smiles, "Sure. Don't worry."

She thanks him one more time before completely leaving. Baekhyun's smile falters as he rushes to the door and closes it. As soon as he does, he walks towards Sehun's mother, not wanting to waste any time.

He breathes heavily while fumbling through her bedside table to look for any paper and pen. The ones he used last time. It's his only chance to know what she has to say.

"B-Baek—Bae—hyun ah..."

Baekhyun stops and looks at her with widening eyes. He's sure. He hears the voice from her. He can't be wrong.

"L-Listen..."

"You..." he breathes raggedly, "You c-can talk, Mrs. Oh?"

She holds his arm firmly, nodding twice while conviction fills her eyes. 

Baekhyun can't still believe it. So all this time, she was lying? She hid this from her own son?

"Mrs. Oh, we—"

"Re-Record..." she says, still having a hard time speaking. "Ev-everything I-I say..."

Baekhyun is still in shock but Mrs. Oh is already shaking his arm in persuasion. He pulls his phone out with his trembling hand before putting it on record. He puts it back in his pocket.

"What's the truth?" Baekhyun weakly asks. He realizes he's not ready for it at all.

"S-S—I'm s-sorry..." she begins crying violently again, "M-My son..."

Baekhyun listens to her intently, his heart feels like jumping off his chest.

"He k-killed...your f-father B-Baekhyun..."

His whole body freezes. It feels like all his strength is taken away from him.

That can't be true, right?

His father treated Sehun like his son. Even more than him. That can't be true.

"N-No..."

Mrs. Oh nods, "H-He confessed i-it all to me before doing it...I tried stopping him...b-but he was already brainwashed by my step-brother..." she desperately presses her forehead on his hand, begging for forgiveness. "H-He has always wanted the company, B-Baekhyun...and it used to be a healthy obsession. But when you came, having BEPE becomes unreachable for him. He c-couldn't accept that, Baekhyun..."

Baekhyun looks so distraught. So shaken. He doesn't make a sound, yet tears are pooling in his eyes. He can't accept it. He can't accept how the people his father loved and trusted were the ones that betrayed him and pushed him to his death.

"Y-Your stepbrother...." Baekhyun weakly mumbles, "Is it Jang Yeonseo?"

Baekhyun knows the possible answer, but his chest is still tightening terribly when Mrs. Oh frantically nods.

"We never r-really got along as siblings...but Sehun is surprisingly closed to him. They had the same aspirations for themselves. I hated myself for not being able to protect my son from becoming one of his like." she says between tears, "I-I should've known it...when he made sure Sehun gets in BEPE... W-When he made sure your father would trust my son completely... It's all for his personal desires."

Baekhyun shakes his head, "W-Why my father?"

She bites her lip before continuing, "T-They were close since high school. We all had the same school, but I was in younger batch. M-My stepbrother would always latch onto your father because he had everything. While our family was completely opposite to how rich your father's was. His obsession with power began by hanging out with Yeongseo. And eventually...Daejung too, since they were inseparable. H-He's your husband's uncle."

Baekhyun nods. He understands now. He's a part of the past too. Every consequence of their mistakes affected everyone related to them. That's just how terrible it was.

"I k-knew...even when I wasn't sure of it, that he had something to do with the Parks' murder years ago." she gulps, "H-He showed up to your father years after, saying that he moved from Canada when he already worked for the Parks as their lawyer when Yeongseo and Daejung became estranged. T-The both of them were his targets. T-Their power blinded him so much...and he g-got my son involved with it."

Baekhyun's tears are continuous, but he prioritizes calming Mrs. Oh first since her breathing is now labored from all the crying. She's desperate to let him know everything despite having a hard time speaking and Baekhyun is not taking that for granted.

"W-When he killed your father...he was terribly shaken. I can tell i-it was almost an accident. B-But... what scared me the most was how different he was after that..." she sobs, "I-I felt like...he liked it and it became easier for him. He b-became a different person. A-Almost like evil."

Baekhyun shivers with her words. Now it all makes sense why Sehun never seemed the same since then.

He hushes her, saying it's okay. It's not her fault.

"I-I'm sorry, Baekhyun...forgive me. But I couldn't take it anymore. I knew Sehun had something to do with w-what happened to your husband too...I can't stay silent anymore." she sniffs, "I-I love my son so much...h-he's everything to me...but I can't keep up with the hell he's trying to raise."

Baekhyun clenches his jaw.

"He tried killing Chanyeol?"

She nods. There's no hope in her eyes anymore. She knows her son has to pay.

"A-And he's planning something on you too. I know i-it." she grasps his hand tightly, "Act first b-before he does."

Baekhyun sets his anger aside when he sees her face flushing because of breathing difficulty. He rushes to the table where the glass of water is and gives it to her. She continuously drinks all of it while Baekhyun wipes his face. His eyes are piercing into space. The wrath in his heart is ignited.

"I-I've waited for this moment...I m-made him believe I couldn't speak a-anymore so I can have the chance t-to tell you myself..." she sniffs, "I-I was afraid that i-if...he'll see me as a threat, then he'd g-get rid of me t-too..."

His own mother is afraid of what he can do. Afraid for her own life because of him. Baekhyun cannot believe it.

"Calm down now...it's going to be okay." he forces a smile when he sees her still looking so conflicted. He helps her wipe her face dry and stabilize her breathing.

She takes a deep breath and holds onto his arm with a smile. She's about to open her lips to say something when this smile fades as soon as her gaze falls at the distance. Unlike the last time, her hand grips around Baekhyun's wrist alarmingly.

Baekhyun shivers.

"Did I interrupt something?" someone from the door speaks.

Baekhyun gulps before turning around to see Sehun leaning on the door, raising his brows at them. Mrs. Oh's fingers are surely making a mark around his wrist by how tight she's holding him. He can feel her trembling in fear.

He manages to force a smile, not wanting to look so disgruntled by his presence.

"Y-You scared me..." Baekhyun laughs nervously, "How long h-have you been standing there?"

Sehun stares at him before shrugging and breaking into a small smile.

"Just now, why?"

Baekhyun subtly gulps again before nodding. He gently shakes her hand off his arm so they won't be that obvious.

He has to be as casual as possible.

"Are we going to eat now?"

Sehun stands straight, and it's enough for him to freeze.

He didn't know he'll be this afraid of this man, ever.

"I thought you're going to bake?"

"Ah...yes! I almost forgot, sorry..." he laughs and faces Mrs. Oh, "I'll have you taste my specialty later, okay?" he lifts his thumbs up with a forced smile on his face, as if the woman didn't just tell him a big revelation a while ago.

Baekhyun faces Sehun with a big casual smile, dismissing his deep stare at him.

"I'll go check it first!" Sehun only nods and walks ahead of him. Baekhyun takes one last glance at Mrs. Oh, who's shaking her head in fear.

He has to do this.

Baekhyun subtly stops the recorder in his coat pocket and locks his phone. He stops on his tracks when he sees no one in the kitchen. Only him and Sehun.

"W-Where..." Baekhyun can feel his heartbeat against his throat, "Where are the cooks?"

The kitchen is neat. Even the mixed ingredients he had a while ago is not there.

Sehun faces him with his hands in both his pockets. Baekhyun looks at him.

He shrugs, "They probably went to sleep."

They're covered by an eerie silence. Baekhyun tries to think of the possibilities he's about to face.

"I-I saw th—"

"You know what, let's just eat outside." Sehun offers, "I don't want to wait for them to start cooking. I'm starving."

"B-But...your Mom..."

"She already ate." Sehun says nonchalantly as he walks out of the kitchen, "Let's go?"

Baekhyun watches him getting farther. His insides are now trembling. His gaze falls on the stack of knives on the counter and instinctively gets a small one before hiding it in his pocket. He takes another huge breath as he follows outside.

"Hun..."

Sehun turns around to wait for him. There's a small curve on his lips, touching Baekhyun's back as soon as he gets closer. Baekhyun stiffly walks beside him.

"Where do you wanna eat?"

"T-That...I was thinking..." Baekhyun says, he's almost out of breath. "Why don't we just head to my house?"

Sehun slows down because of this, looking at him. Baekhyun smiles sheepishly, making the former chuckle.

"W-We can eat there..."

Sehun grins, "Sure."

Baekhyun looks at the car waiting for them, a driver standing outside. Although all his relief is dropped to the floor when the man hands the keys to Sehun, the latter walks directly to the driver's seat.

He abruptly stops beside the car, afraid about going in. Along with it, his phone continuously vibrates in his pocket. He's almost sure Chanyeol is impatiently waiting for him to pick up.

But he can't.

"Let's go?" Sehun smiles. Baekhyun nods and hops in the shotgun seat.

Baekhyun finds it hard breathing inside. He looks around while Sehun starts the engine. When he glances at the taller, he's only blankly looking at the road.

His fear reaches the highest notch when they took a different way.

Baekhyun can't say anything anymore. He's just gripping the knife in his pocket, as if his life depended on it.

"That thing in your pocket seems urgent."

Baekhyun's trembling hand drops the knife from his hold. Sehun's voice is a lot colder than how it usually was.

"H-Huh?"

"Your phone." he says, "It keeps on vibrating."

Baekhyun smiles nervously. He tries stopping the call without pulling it out of his pocket.

Sehun stares at him.

"Why don't you answer?"

"It's not important."

"Really? Don't you want to tell them stories first as we drive to your house?"

Baekhyun grits his teeth. Sehun is still grinning, but there's no humor in it. His tone is menacing.

"S-Sehun, this is n-not the way..."

The road is dark. And even if there are cars passing by, they're going by so fast. The car harshly stops on the side of the road.

"Do you wanna tell me about it first?"

Baekhyun frantically shakes his head, "I'm going out—"

"Jesus..." Sehun chuckles while pulling out something from his compartment box, "Must be fucking hard to be that convincing."

Baekhyun is completely statued on his seat. He breathes heavily while Sehun leans towards him with a gun in his hand.

"I-I don't know anything..."

"R-Really?" Sehun mocks his stutter, caressing his arm with the tip of the gun. "Really, Baek?"

"S-Sehun, please...I wanna go ho—"

His words are finished by a shriek when Sehun pulls the trigger. Baekhyun sobs hard when he feels nothing but numbness from fear, while Sehun laughs beside him like a maniac.

"F-Fucking psycho..." he cries when the gun turns out to be empty.

"Oh god, can you imagine if that was loaded?" Sehun says in between breathless laughter, "Fuck...fuck, I forgot to load that one, huh."

Baekhyun sheds more silent tears while the gun travels down his face. He can barely recognize the man beside him.

His phone continuously vibrates from Chanyeol's call. But one move ends his life.

"Sehun, please...I-I'm begging..."

"It's going to be alright, Baek." Baekhyun's eyes glisten while looking at Sehun's face inches away from him.

This shouldn't be his end. Not this way.

Baekhyun tries to fight when a cloth is tightly pressed against his nose. It's the same one he had weeks ago.

Only this time, he knows everything. He knows the one behind it.

"Didn't I always make things alright for you?"


	31. 30-Endpoint

From then on, Baekhyun didn't know whether he's still alive. Or if he still is, until when? He's barely aware of what's happening.

The feeling of relief fills him when he wakes up on a cemented floor, too weak for big movements but still sure, he's alive. But it's all short-lived when reality hits him. He looks down to his hands and feet. Both aren't tied. Despite feeling so weak, he tries crawling to the nearest wall to lean his body on.

It takes him a lot of effort to do so. When he does, he's finally able to get a look around the place he's in. And the horror in him intensifies.

"F-Fuck..." Baekhyun cusses weakly. He looks around the stacks of old meat surrounding him. When he finally gets a grasp of what's really happening, he's also made aware of where he is.

"L-Let me out...p-please..." he calls out weakly, as if anyone could hear. He's still too drained to even speak. He's in a cold storage room. And judging by its almost empty state and lingering foul smell, it's probably abandoned. But Baekhyun can still feel the decreasing temperature.

Baekhyun starts panicking. His breathing gets ragged just with the thought of being stuck in this room as it gets freezing cold. He's about to be killed slowly and painfully.

He doesn't have any injury or wound. But he feels so intoxicated, as if all his strength has been drained out from his body. This is exactly how he felt when he was kidnapped from Jeollanam-do. The chemical is too strong, making sure it leaves him unable to fight.

"HELP!" he screams, thinking that someone might pass by outside to hear and help him. If this is a storage room then there might be another room outside. Baekhyun crawls back to the door despite the difficulty. And even if it's expected to be locked, he still tries to open it desperately.

He breathes through his lips, tapping his coat with trembling hands. He recalls putting a knife and his phone there. And with all the hope that's left in him, he prays they're still there.

But of course, his pocket has been emptied.

"HELP ME PLEASE!"

Baekhyun gulps after shouting at the top of his lungs. Once again, he can feel his heartbeat pulsating up against his throat and ears. He feels so helpless, yet he still doesn't want to give up. He continues banging the door with both his hands and all his might. His prayers are continuous.

He flinches when he hears the unlocking sound from the doorknob above him, making him crawl backwards. His breath hitches even more.

The same man that brought him there enters the room. Baekhyun crawls back until his back hits the wall again, his eyes piercing through him.

Sehun casually walks in with a bag in his hand that seems to contain food. He puts it on the nearby metal rack before pulling the small chair from the corner. Baekhyun watches him with gritted teeth.

"Dinner is served. Better late than never, right?" Sehun coos, "Can you believe it? I still remember your favorite dish. Chanyeol can never."

"Get me out of here." Baekhyun says sharply before trying his luck again, "HELP! HELP ME PLEASE!"

Sehun laughs.

"I admire your effort."

"Fuck you." Baekhyun hisses yet Sehun only chuckles with his feisty remark. He sits in front of him, arms resting on both his knees.

The man only shakes his head in amusement, opening the dish he bought. The smell alone makes Baekhyun stomach groan in hunger. God knows how long he's been here.

Sehun takes a spoonful of food and tries to feed him but Baekhyun won't budge. He tilts his on the side.

"I fucking hate you so much..."

"Eat."

Baekhyun slaps his hand away, causing the food to be thrown on the floor. He breathes heavily, anticipating the punishment he'll get for that.

Sehun grabs his face harshly, jaw clenching in rage with what he did. Baekhyun whimpers when his fingers dig deep onto his cheeks.

When Baekhyun groans louder, Sehun eventually lets go of his face. He sighs deeply as if trying to keep himself calm, casually picking up the plate from the floor while Baekhyun silently trembles on the corner. He sits back on the chair he had a while ago with a small curve on his lips.

"Y-You're a psychopath..."

Sehun smiles, "You're overreacting."

"You killed people!" he seethes in anger. His blood is rushing through him so fast while looking at the casual response he gets from the man, "You killed my father! The man who trusted you! The man who gave you the power you have now!" he finds himself on the verge of tears again because of how painful it is, "H-He treated you like his son...and you k-killed him. And now you have the guts to tell me I'm overreacting?"

"It's how life works, Baekhyun." Sehun says, shaking his head slowly. "He didn't know how to keep his word. He's nothing but a liar. Do you know what he promised me?"

"I don't fucking care what he promised you. You killed him."

"He told me I'll get the company, Baekhyun. That all my hard work through the years will pay off because he'll name me as an heir of BEPE." Sehun continues nonetheless, smiling bitterly. "Regardless of your return, I'd get it. Because who the fuck are you? You were just his long lost son who didn't even know a thing about running such a big company. I honestly thought a wise man like him would know better."

He can't believe how shallow he is. Baekhyun chuckles in disbelief, "Can you hear how petty you are?"

"But I guess you tamed him too. Figures that you're father and son. You're both weak at heart. Impulsive." Sehun dismisses his furious responses, "You know what else he promised me? That he'll help my mother get the best treatment for her disease. And can you guess it? He fucking broke his promise too."

Despite gritting his teeth in rage, Baekhyun falls silent. The pair of eyes coldly linger on him, but the pain in his voice becomes obvious.

"He found out her stepbrother worked for his old _friend_. And it became easier for him to ignore all his promises." he chuckles but his jaw is hardening, "I didn't know what my mother had to do with her brother's mistakes...what I had to do with it...but he involved us nonetheless. It became easier for him because he got nothing to lose. He got you. And I was just his pathetic little apprentice that would always obey him like a dog. He was a fucking scam. Your father deserved what he got, Baek."

Baekhyun clutches his fists tight.

"It's not his fault you're too desperate for power."

He flinches back when Sehun throws the stainless small rack near him against the wall right beside Baekhyun's head. His body curls even more, hands trembling in fear between his body when it almost hits him. Baekhyun shuts his eyes tight. He can't find the courage to speak anymore now that Sehun has obviously gone violent.

"I've worked hard more than anyone else. Even more than you, Baekhyun. So I deserve that power I'm fucking desperate for." he says through gritted teeth. Baekhyun feels the chills all over his body. "And I'm not going to be like all of you who settle for less. I only wanted what's best for me and my mother, but no one would even understand that, right? No one would try to care."

Baekhyun gulps. Retaliating things that can make Sehun angrier will not help him at all. He shouldn't take all his words personally. This man in front of him is crazy.

He'll make him pay, eventually. But now, he still has to go along with anything he wants.

Sehun grins, "So I don't know how you managed to get her speak. I don't know how you forced her to tell you the truth, but you're not going to use any of it, Baekhyun. You're a fool for thinking you can outsmart me with your plans."

Baekhyun looks at him again, blinking rapidly. "It's not her fault...p-please don't hurt your Mom."

The taller chuckles in disbelief, "Of course I'm not going to hurt her. She's the reason why I'm doing all of this."

"Sehun...please stop this." Baekhyun says gently, "I-I know...you're a good person. You love your Mom so much...and you're just doing this for her. But this isn't right..." he gulps in between, "You're making her scared of you...is that what you want?"

_"Tell me more, counselor."_ Sehun smiles menacingly, "Do you think I'm a stupid kid you can guilt trip? You don't tell me what's right when it comes to my Mom." he spat, "I'm making things easier for her. The same way all of you made things difficult for me."

Baekhyun's eyes glisten in tears. Sehun stands up from his chair and squats right in front of him, staring intently at Baekhyun's vulnerable state.

"I can help your Mom...I'll make up with my father's promises..." Baekhyun says pleadingly, "I-I'll send her to the best specialist...g-get her the best treatment. Please...I-I promise you that."

Sehun smiles, "Aww...Baek." he touches his face that makes the shorter even more stiff, "Don't you think it's a little too late for that? I could've done that ages ago. I already got enough money."

Baekhyun figures it out now. It's really his mother who already gave up in recovering. It's probably the reason why Sehun's wrath became even worse. Everyone, including his mom, is making things hard for him.

So he makes it hard for other people too.

Baekhyun is close to sobbing when he realizes the only end that's waiting for him.

"What else do you fucking want then?!" Baekhyun cusses, slapping his hand away from his face. "Tell me! Are you going to kill me?! Just do it!"

Sehun laughs while he desperately shouts. He's already catching his breath, eyes warming while they're pooled with tears out of fear.

"Look how shaken you are..." Sehun clicks his tongue, "I'm sorry if you have to go through this, Baek. I really like you as a person, honestly. Ah...if your Dad and husband only didn't make things hard for me." he sighs before smiling, "Look where they are now."

Baekhyun can only shake his head when Sehun wipes the tear that streams down his cheek with his thumb.

"P-Please...Sehun..."

The taller looks at him, his hand still on Baekhyun's face. "But you can avoid the same mistake, Baekhyun. You can make things easier for me this time."

Baekhyun gulps in between his heavy breaths, "I-I'll do anything...I'll give you the company, Sehun. You'll never see me again...just d-don't harm me and my family anymore."

Sehun chortles and shakes his head. Baekhyun's pleading tone makes it even more pleasing to his ears.

"You know what my offer is?" he asks with raised brows, "Marry me, Baek. In that way, you can still be BEPE's owner." he shrugs, "Well...technically, you'll give me the rights over it. But still...the legacy of Byun's will continue, right? Your family's work will remain."

Baekhyun falls silent in shock. He didn't expect he'll be left with this choice. It seems even worse than death.

All he wants is for this to be over, but this man is truly desperate. Baekhyun despises how he makes it sound like the both of them will gain an advantage from it when it fact, it's all for his personal gain alone.

"Isn't that perfect?" he smirks when Baekhyun seems like he's thinking about it based on his silence, "A widow finding new love from his father's most trusted apprentice...oh, we'll make headlines."

Baekhyun slowly shakes his head, "You're crazy..."

"And then you'll tell the board like what you told them about Chanyeol..." Sehun's eyes slightly narrowed, "that I'll be the one to manage both companies because you're not capable. You can finally go back to baking cakes like what you're really good at."

His breathing becomes heavier, "We don't need to do that. I can just give you the damn company."

"And you think I'll easily get what I want that way? You think I won't go through complicated process through that, huh? Baek, I'm already so tired of all that shit." Sehun sighs before grinning again, "Or did I forget to mention? You actually don't have a choice."

Baekhyun grits his teeth, "Chanyeol is still and will remain my husband."

Sehun lets out a sigh, "Alright..." he shrugs, "Then I guess you'll end up like him."

His eyes widen when Sehun stands up and turns away from him, walking back to the door. Baekhyun tries to crawl after him. He breathes raggedly through his lips.

"I-I'll just give you BEPE...y-you can make me sign a c-contract! Please!"

Baekhyun desperately begs. If Sehun really wants the company alone to spare his life, then he'll give it to him. He just wants this to be over. The thought of Chanyeol waiting for him somewhere, not knowing he's in trouble, hurts him to greatest extent.

All Baekhyun wants is a peaceful life. From the very beginning.

"What do you think about slow and painful death? Ever thought about that? Like ever?" he fakes a curious tone while Baekhyun frantically shakes his head behind him.

Sehun turns around to look at him, lips curving.

"If you weren't such a nosy prick Baek, _god._ I wasn't really going to force you like this. I was willing to actually make you fall in love with me. You know...just keep things real." he clicks his tongue a few times, "After all, I've been doing that since we met. You're just naïve."

Baekhyun gulps between his tears, "Fine! I-I'll..." he hiccups and roams his gaze around, "I'll t-think about it...c-can you let me think about it f-first? P-Please..."

Sehun doesn't answer immediately. His eyes have a hint of amusement while looking at Baekhyun trying to bargain this time. If anything, he didn't expect it.

"Quite demanding, aren't we?" he chuckles and picks something in his pocket, "But okay. Who am I to say no..."

Baekhyun sniffs while looking at the small button thrown on the floor right in front of him.

"Press that once you agree to my proposal. If not, then don't bother." Sehun tells him, "I'll give you time to think while I fix _some other _things."

Sehun grins while walking to the door. He opens it and takes another look at Baekhyun.

"Now, why don't you cool down a little bit here?"

Baekhyun had a hard time processing it as soon as Sehun leaves and he hears the door locking. But his heart skips a beat when he hears the buzzing sound of machine all over the room. He stands up with struggle, running to the door while banging it with his hands again.

"No..." he begs against the door, "No...Don't do this, Sehun please!"

His fear escalates when he hears a chuckle from the other side of the door. Baekhyun knocks continuously.

"S-Sehun!"

"I don't have all the time in the world, Baek." he says in a menacing tone, "Decide sooner before you freeze to death there, yeah?"

Baekhyun bangs the door while he tries to suppress his sobs. He doesn't hear anyone outside anymore, suggesting Sehun has already left.

He leans against the door in defeat, looking around in fear. He can already feel the cold consuming the room. Sooner or later, everything here will be ice. Including him.

x

The petite man is almost stomping his way to a nearby black car. He naturally has a grim expression so people won't really tell the difference. Though this time, there's obviously something making him more pissed.

As soon as he hops in the car, he doesn't allow the other man explain.

"What do you mean Chanyeol left, huh?" he hisses, "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on him?"

"He tricked me!" Jongin says defensively, "I told him I'm going everywhere with him!"

He shuts his eyes when Kyungsoo raises his hand, "You still left him!"

"He escaped!"

"Idiot!"

Jongin glares at him, "You're really too much! I'm not someone you can just boss around all the—_stop_! You're really too much!" he exclaims when Kyungsoo almost hits him again.

Kyungsoo falls silent right then. After a short while, he lets out a sigh.

"What if something happens to him?" he rubs his eyes in frustration.

"That's why we need to go and find him now..." Jongin mumbles nervously when he remembers another problem.

Kyungsoo's eyes are now filled with worry. He looks at Jongin beside him.

"I think we have another problem."

Jongin looks at him while gulping, "Yeah...I think so too."

"What? You say it first." Kyungsoo creases his brows.

Jongin blinks rapidly, not knowing where to begin.

"I w-was calling Baekhyun nonstop a while ago because Chanyeol told me to..." Jongin pauses, "He didn't answer my calls, except once. All I heard was muffled sound and low mumbling before the call dropped. After that, he never answered anymore..."

Kyungsoo stares at him, wide-eyed.

"Fuck..."

"What?" Jongin blinks, "It has something to do with yours?"

"The maids told me he hasn't come home yet." he looks at the mansion outside where he just asked, "But the guards and his driver did, saying he went somewhere for an urgent business trip and he'll be gone for days."

They both stare at each other, drowned in silence. It seems like they're trying to figure out what's really happening.

"Jesus..."

"Jongin, find Chanyeol." Kyungsoo says intently, "I'll try looking for Baekhyun. Wherever he is...he might not be safe."

"W-What?" Jongin stutters, "Why don't we just go together?"

"We have to move separately. It's faster that way." he glares at the other man, "Don't fucking tell me you're scared?"

"I'm not! You dumb..." he frowns, "Just...ah, fine. I'll go find him. But knowing Chanyeol...he mi—_wait..." _Kyungsoo stiffens when Jongin stares outside the window right beside him, "Wait."

"_Fuck you, _are you trying to scare me?!"

"I'm not! Look at that. Right there...behind the tree."

Kyungsoo gets goosebumps. He won't even obey Jongin.

"It's not funny!"

"Goddammit Kyungsoo, it's not a ghost! Just look!" Jongin tilts his cheek to make him face where he's staring at. There's a man standing behind the tree on the side of the road. His blank stare is directed at the mansion.

He hears Jongin snorting, "And you even had the guts to say I was scared when you're close to shitting your pants."

"Shut up!" Kyungsoo hisses without removing his eyes from the guy, "Who is he?"

"I don't know—hey, where are you going?" Jongin grabs his wrist when he opens the car door, "Kyungsoo, what the fuck?!"

The shorter manages to shake his hand away and completely hop off the car. Jongin cusses multiple times yet is left with no choice but to follow him. He's afraid that the man might be dangerous but Kyungsoo just loves trouble, and he's not there to just watch him.

The man quickly walks away as soon as he sees them approaching. He's half-running because he might have seen them as a threat. Kyungsoo goes after him, followed by Jongin who's slapping his head in frustration.

"Hey! Hey Sir, wait! We're not going to harm you!" even the way he approaches makes Jongin roll his eyes, "Please!"

"Stop right there or I'll alert the guards!" Jongin shouts when they're already in the distant part of the village. It seems to be more convincing when the man actually stops, tilting sideways while his shoulders heave.

Kyungsoo throws a sharp look at Jongin before slowly walking towards the guy.

"Sir...we're not going to hurt you. We're just friends of the owner of the mansion you were looking at..."

The man's eyes look at him from underneath his hoodie. He glances at Jongin warily before looking back at Kyungsoo.

"You friends with the Byun?"

Kyungsoo blinks rapidly when he hears the distinctive accent. He eyes Jongin sideways before gulping.

"Yes, the young Byun. He's our friend."

Jongin instinctively blocks Kyungsoo when the man rushes back to them, covering the shorter with his body. But it seems like the man is only relieved with what he heard.

"I saw his father shot years ago..." he says through his breath, "Almost three years ago...I left Busan for a job here in Seoul. But on my way to Itaewon, I saw everything..."

Jongin grits his teeth. He feels Kyungsoo shifting to his side this time.

"Oh Sehun." Jongin says, "It's him, isn't it?"

The stranger nods. Now that Kyungsoo gets a better look at him, he looks older than they are. His gaze looks lost and he's obviously unfamiliar of the place.

"He killed anyone nearby that saw what happened. It was easy because there's just few. Only few of us." he says, "I was scared so I went back to Busan. I never tried going to the police because I knew about his power. He could get rid of me anytime."

"What brings you here now?"

"I've heard about his son being back, Sir." he gulps, "He's the only one I could confess to. I'm desperate to tell him directly. I don't want to get into a bigger mess anymore. I have a family."

Both Kyungsoo and Jongin look at each other. The man sounded so helpless. Kyungsoo gulps as he takes a step towards him.

"Sir, you need to come with us. We need to make sure you're safe."

The man frantically shakes his head, "No...no, I can't! I just told you the truth but I won't testify. He'll kill me too..."

"He can't. Trust us, we won't let that happen." Jongin says yet the man still defies, "You're not going to testify immediately. We're still trying to gain all the evidences before we catch him on his act."

The man looks at them, obviously conflicted.

"M-My family..."

"You'll be safe, we promise that." Kyungsoo says. They stand there in silence for a while before they hear a sigh of defeat from the man. He slowly nods and puts all his trust to them as he agrees.

They walk back to the car with the witness. Kyungsoo is in deep thought all throughout. He finally faces Jongin when the man entered the car ahead of them.

"You know where to bring him right?"

Jongin nods, "I'm gonna have to contact Minseok."

"Jongin..." Kyungsoo calls, "I gave Chanyeol something important a while ago...so that's why he suddenly left."

Jongin's face softens when he realizes what it is.

"The clip?"

Kyungsoo nods, "Then you probably have an idea where he went...and that he's safe. Go after him and tell him all of this." he gulps, "But before any of that, I need to borrow one of your cars."

"Where are you going?" Jongin creases his brows. Kyungsoo sighs nervously.

"Oh Sehun's." he says, already decided. "That's the only place that can possibly tell me where Baek is."

x

Baekhyun is already gritting his teeth. The cold harshly hits his bare face, making him exhale another breath.

His coat isn't that thick to keep him warm up to this point. The temperature has reached a very low level and he doesn't know how long he could take it.

But he can't agree to that. Not now, or ever.

Once he gives Sehun what he wants, it's all going to be more of a chaos. He knows very well that he'll do everything to keep Chanyeol, his friends and family, out of the way. He doesn't want to live a hell of life.

It's better this way. At least he stood by his heart until the end.

Baekhyun gulps the lump in his throat; if only he got the chance to say goodbye.

He sniffs and bites his lip, trying his hardest not to cry again. He wonders why his life had to be this miserable. Where did he go wrong? Where did _they_ go wrong? All he ever did was love Chanyeol. Try to be the man he always dreamed to become. But it seems like he can never be happy.

It's just so unfair.

Baekhyun sniffs once more as he crawls to another side of the room to give his body a little warmth through movement. He can barely feel his feet anymore, wincing every time his knees rub against the cold floor.

He feels his limbs trembling, making him hold onto the nearest metal rack to keep his balance. But he shrieks in pain when his hand gets wounded by its sharp edges. Baekhyun pants while looking at his palm, a little stain of blood coming out from a wound.

His face crumples while he presses it against his coat. He spaces out for a little while as he looks at the part where he got cut. Still a little distraught, Baekhyun had to blink slowly when he glances back to the table.

He breathes heavily, struggling to stand up and walk towards the table where the food Sehun left him is placed. The food is already cold, but it's not what catches Baekhyun's attention. He huffs deeply through his mouth while getting something from the paper bag. Limping, he walks back to the rack nearby and sits right beside it.

If it's because of the intense cold or the utmost desire to live that suddenly makes him sharp, he doesn't know. But he'll take it.

x

The house barely has lights on, but the guard house outside surely has someone there.

Kyungsoo has been staring at it for a while now. He wipes his hands on his pants like what he always does when he's nervous. Right then, he walks towards the gate and rings the doorbell.

It takes a while before someone actually opens the gate. The guard frowns while seeing a man staring blankly at him with his doe-eyes. Kyungsoo smiles emotionlessly.

"Hello," he says softly, "I'm looking for Mr. Jang."

The guard creases his brows, "What do you need?"

Kyungsoo almost grins to himself, confirming his hunch.

"He's my boss." he says, still smiling. "And he told me I could go here to talk to him about a job he promised me."

"He doesn't live here." the guards says, sounding stoic. "And it's late. Why the hell are you looking for a job at this hour?"

"H-Huh?" he fakes a confused tone, "Why did he give me this address then? Is this the wrong house?"

The guard clicks his tongue when he sees his conflicted state.

"His sister and her son are living here, but not him." he frowns even more, "Go home, kid. Or I'll throw you out of here."

"B-But Sir...it's for my brother...he promised him a job and he really needs one." he gulps, "Can I just talk to someone here that can possibly connect me to him?"

"Mr. Oh is already asleep. Just go back tomorrow."

Kyungsoo sighs heavily, clasping both his hands in plead.

"I need to go back to South Jeolla before dawn tomorrow..." he sighs when the guard raises a brow at him, "Fine...if you can't get me to talk to anyone, can you just tell me how to get here?"

He brings out the fake card Jongin gave him. The guard hastily grabs the card from his hand. He reads it and looks at Kyungsoo who's innocently looking at him.

"You're just really wasting your time here, kid." he chuckles.

"Why?" Kyungsoo asks, "Is this a fake address too?"

"That's an upcoming Seoul branch of their hotel." he says, "But the abandoned property is still about to be demolished, so you won't get anything there but an old empty hotel too."

It rings a bell in Kyungsoo's head. He shuts his eyes.

"Oh god, so he really just gave me false hope, didn't he?"

The guard grins, "I told you, you're just wasting your time."

"What's going on there?"

Kyungsoo's face softens when he hears a familiar voice approaching from the inside. The guard completely loses his cool façade when he straightens up on his spot. Soon enough, Kyungsoo sees the man he's been looking for.

Oh Sehun's cold eyes look at him warily, his hands in the pockets of his night robe. He looks like he's already in bed, but not in the middle of sleep though.

"What does he need?" Sehun asks, stare still knowing.

"Just asking for Mr. Jang, Sir." the guard says, "I told him he doesn't live here."

Kyungsoo barely blinks an eye while Sehun's gaze lingers on him. He slowly nods at what his guard said.

"Well, yeah. He told me to go here because my brother needs a job." he snorts, "Guess I was fooled, since he doesn't live here."

Sehun doesn't say anything.

"I guess I'll just go back home. Sorry for bothering you."

He turns away to leave.

"Wait."

Kyungsoo slightly freezes on his post, gathering his courage to fake a casual face before turning around again.

Sehun steps towards him, "I know you..."

Kyungsoo creases his brows even when he's already panicking inside.

"Sorry?"

"You're Baekhyun's friend, right?" Sehun smiles, "We met at the small bar, at your province."

"So you were the one with him that night." Kyungsoo narrows his eyes, "Figures."

"Glad to see you again."

Chuckling, Kyungsoo raises a brow at him. "We're never friends, by the way. Byun and I."

"Still bitter about Mr. Park, huh?"

Kyungsoo glares at the grinning man. But something from his pocket catches his attention.

"Yeah...you can say that." he says without removing his gaze at it, "That looks urgent. The thing in your pocket."

Sehun's grin fades when he looks at where he's pointing. Something small is blinking with red light in his robe pocket, lightly vibrating. He looks back at Kyungsoo and meets his gaze.

"Sleep alarm?" Kyungsoo forces a chuckle, "Anyway, I'm going. I need to head back to Jeollanam-do. Thanks for the help!"

He turns away and the smile on his face is gone. He quickly walks to the village entrance, making Sehun believe that he just commuted if he's still watching.

When Kyungsoo reaches the village exit, he looks around cautiously. After seeing no one around, he hops in the car he parked on the side a while ago. He pants heavily while trying to dial Jongin's number.

"Are you with Chanyeol now?"

Kyungsoo waits patiently inside the car on the side of the street, trying to look like one of the few cars parked around him. Like what he expected, he sees a known car driving out of the village. He listens to Jongin's words as he starts the engine.

"I'm going there, right now." he seriously says, focused on trailing after the sports car a few distance from him. "Remember what I told you."

x

Baekhyun presses the button nonstop while he's curled on the floor. He already finds it hard to open his eyes. The temperature has completely dropped and he can barely move at all.

He whimpers against his knees. Holding onto the inside of his coat to cover his hands. He's been pressing the button for a while now, not even sure if it's actually working or Sehun only wanted him to hold onto his hope while he dies.

He's close to being completely numb when he hears the sound of the door lock. The first thing he sees is a pair of shoes walking to where he is, slowly as if he's not trying to keep himself alive.

The warmth on his cheek feels so foreign. Baekhyun tries to lean his face towards the warmth, trembling against the hand touching him.

"What took you so long?" despite almost losing consciousness, he can still hear the humor from the voice right above him, "You really waited until you're freezing to death, love?"

"C-Cold..." Baekhyun breathes shakily, "I-I'm s-so cold...l-let me out..."

"Oh..." Sehun coos, "So it's settled then? You're gonna marry me?"

Baekhyun nods while still trembling. He weakly watches Sehun put a piece of paper in front of him, squeezing a pen in between his quivering fingers.

"Sign that and we're good." he smirks when Baekhyun doesn't hesitate, struggling to put his signature even when he's trembling uncontrollably. "Fuck...this has got to be the most romantic wedding proposal, don't you think?"

"I-I'm v-very cold...I-I c-can't take it a-anymore..." Baekhyun says pleadingly, "L-Let me o-out...I-I need w-warmth...please..."

"Warmth, huh?" Sehun chuckles, "Poor thing...Come on, I'll give you warmth."

"T-Thank y-you..." Baekhyun weakly mumbles and opens his eyes. He sits up when Sehun envelopes him in between his arms to give him warmth. Baekhyun breathes against his shoulders, his eyes warming.

He feels him rubbing his back, holding his legs to carry him. Baekhyun pulls his other hand to embrace him back.

"Warm?"

"Y-Yes..." Baekhyun mumbles through gritted teeth before pulling his other hand, "Warm."

Sehun drops him on the floor when he gets stabbed right on his back. He screams in pain when Baekhyun digs it deeper, blood oozing out of him.

_"Fuck!"_

Baekhyun manages to escape his hold when he falls on his knees, the sharpened stick still stuck in his flesh.

He's about to run when Sehun grabs his leg from the floor. His grip is tight while he sharply looks at him, Baekhyun is breathing through his mouth. It's still difficult to move because of cold but he garners all his strength to kick him hard on his arm and face. He picks up the keys from the rack and immediately distinguished the storage key.

Baekhyun pants while looking behind him as he unlocks the door. Sehun is still wincing in pain, yet he's already trying to stand up to catch up on him. Baekhyun cusses continuously. When he finally unlocks the door, he runs outside as fast as he can.

"Baekhyun!" he doesn't stop, hearing Sehun's steps following behind him. He reaches the front door and sees it locked as well.

"S-Shit." he cusses. He's left with no choice but to turn left while Sehun hasn't seen him yet.

Baekhyun sees a room full of round tables and it occurs to him that they're in a hotel. An old one. He hears footsteps getting closer so he hides under one of them. Thankfully, they're covered with old, dirty tablecloths so he's covered.

"Baek, sweetheart...stop." Sehun says mockingly, "Really, it's no use. You're tiring yourself."

He covers his mouth to keep his breathing silent. The chuckles from the man echoes within the dining hall. Baekhyun stays still from where he is, not daring to make any move nor sound.

"I saw your friend a while ago..." Sehun continues despite the silence, "Everyone is still concerned about you. How do you think they'll react if you die? It will scar them for life, Baek. Just come out."

Baekhyun bites his lip. He doesn't let himself grow curious of anything Sehun says. He's surely trying to fool him.

"Ah, fuck this shit. Where did you go?" he finally hears the frustration in his voice. It's soon followed by a declining sound of footsteps. He waits until it's gone.

All the coldness in his body has turned into sweat. He's tensed and the confined walls of the hotel makes it warm too. He's still a bit weak from the toxic he inhaled and all the running he did, but he can do it. He'll escape. He just needs to find an alternative door.

Baekhyun sees a door from the distance, which may be leading to the kitchen. If he goes there, then he might find something to protect himself with. He only needs to crawl up to the nearest table to it and then run as fast as he can.

He tilts his head and sees the signage in front of it. When he confirms it's really the kitchen and it's not closed, he smiles in relief.

But it's replaced by a shriek when something tight wraps around his ankle, harshly pulling him out of the table covers. Baekhyun tries to kick him again but it's no use when both his feet are held by his hands.

"Gotcha!"

He screams and desperately shouts for help. Baekhyun struggles to kick both his feet while Sehun drags him out to the fire exit. His body harshly scrapes against the hard floor. His spinning head can barely make something out of anything, but he realizes they're on a side alley where the trash is usually taken out. It gives him more motivation to scream for help now that they're outside but Sehun's heavy palm hits against his face, throwing him back to the floor.

Baekhyun weakly lies on the cold ground, eyes shut in pain. He can feel a stingy pain on his lip. He feels another impact on his face, this time through a punch. His gut clenches when it's followed by a kick on his stomach.

"I used to love your angelic face a lot, Baekhyun..." Sehun says between heavy breaths. He's holding something on his hand that makes Baekhyun crawl away, "But now I realize, how heavenly must it feel putting marks on it. It's oddly as satisfying as killing people. Oh _fuck_, I love that."

Baekhyun feels his hand on his hair, getting a handful as he tries to make him look.

"Would you love that too?"

He spits out the blood from his lips to his side before looking at Sehun through his half-lidded eyes.

"F-Fuck you." he hisses through his blood-stained lips, "R-Rot in h-hell, asshole—"

"Oops, rot in what?" Baekhyun winces when he hits him again, "Say that again?"

"R-Rot in f-fucki—AH!" he shouts in so much pain when a heavy bat hits his knee. The pain is so excruciating that Baekhyun ends up crying in silence while trying to reach out for it.

Sehun grins before doing it again, finding his weakness.

"S-STOP! PLEASE...I-IT HURTS!"

"But when you die, it won't hurt anymore..." Sehun squats below him, "So you want me end your pain now, Baek? Just say it, baby. I'll do it."

Baekhyun's voice is already hoarse from crying and screaming. His leg hurts so much. For a moment, he actually thought about ending this all.

"My...m-my leg..." he cries when he feels his broken knee.

"Aw, it's broken?" Sehun's lips protruded, "I want it crushed though. Hmm...Do you—"

Baekhyun hears a glass crashing and a loud thump away from him. He hears a grunt of pain, while a few pieces of small broken glass hit his skin. He can't move anymore.

"Baekhyun..." he hears a familiar voice while a hand taps his face, "Wake up. W-Wake up! Look at me!"

"K-Kyung..."

"Hold on...o-okay?" he doesn't know if it's real but he hears a crack in Kyungsoo's voice, "T-They're coming...Chanyeol's coming..."

"S-Soo...get m-me out of h-here, p-please...I-I can't take it anymore." he sobs heavily while clutching onto his friends arm, "I-It's painful..."

"Just hold on. The cops are coming. They're gonna save us—"

"K-Kyung!"

He sees the way Kyungsoo falls on the ground beside him, unconscious as something hits his head. Baekhyun sobs louder. He calls out for him, trying to wake him up but he completely passed out. Baekhyun watches the blood streaming down from his head.

Sehun watches them while clenching his jaw. He taps the back of his head where he got hit by a glass bottle. He hisses when he sees blood on his hand, additional to the wound he had on his back.

"Fucking bitch." he grits his teeth, his bloodshot eyes directed at them. Out of rage, he hits Baekhyun with his baseball bat for another time, sending jolts of pain on the latter's back.

"Why did I forget that gun, _fuck, _I would've shot your heads faster!" he wipes his sweat, "_Fucking_ bastards. Ah, this is tiring."

Baekhyun crawls to where Kyungsoo is, hugging him while he sheds silent tears. He covers him with himself, earning a chuckle from the psychopath standing close to them. He can feel it now. There's no hope anymore. He can no longer fight.

He holds Kyungsoo close to him, shutting his eyes while he mumbles. "P-Please..."

"It's your fault he got that, Baekhyun. You're dumb." he smiles, "I was considerate to you, you know that? I gave you an option when I could've killed you in a snap. You're so fucking ungrateful."

Baekhyun shakes his head slowly. He will never take that option. He'll take death instead, but it didn't have to involve anyone else. It should've been just him.

"Anyways," Sehun sighs while playing with a rope in his hand, "it's about time you and your scam father reconcile. I'd gladly do you a favor."

Baekhyun feels something tight against his neck, pulling him away from Kyungsoo. Shortening his breath.

Sehun's about to say another thing but a sound of approaching siren stops him. Baekhyun thought he's dreaming, but it becomes loud and deafening. It becomes a reason for the rope around him to loosen up. But the panicking man drags him to the darker part of the alley, eyes barely familiar to Baekhyun as he completely becomes evil to him.

He'll kill Baekhyun once and for all. Before the police catches him. The wrath in his heart is too much that he won't let anyone get out of here alive.

Sehun raises his baseball bat, now stained with blood. Baekhyun's half-lidded eyes see a silhouette approaching towards them. But he glances back to Sehun.

"S-Sehun..."

"Any last words?" he grins when the police mobile went straight to the hotel entrance, giving him more time to finish this and escape. "Keep it short."

Baekhyun nods. He gulps before smiling bitterly.

"R-Right behind you, _asshole_."

The man doesn't have enough time to look behind when something hits the crucial part of his nape, immediately drawing his consciousness out of him. He falls right on Baekhyun's feet. The mobile lights are now at the end of the alleyway, and Baekhyun cries in relief. His head and body feel numb.

"Baekhyun..." he hears Jongin in front of him, but the pain has completely taken over him.

"C-Chanyeol..." Baekhyun mumbles between his heavy breaths, "W-Where's Chanyeol..."

He's there, standing right behind Jongin. But he can't utter a word. He's staring at his husband in shock, heart breaking when he realizes he almost lost him. Again.

"Right here..." Chanyeol bites his lip to keep his voice still, "I-I'm right here now...don't worry."

"K-Kyungsoo..." Baekhyun cries against his shoulder, "P-Please help him...Kyungsoo's t-there..."

Baekhyun tries opening his eyes but it's no use. Everything is blurry, only faint red and blue lights flashing from the distance. Everything is repeating in his mind. It feels like a nightmare. But the pain in his body makes him realize it's not.

The suspect's unconscious body has been taken away from them by the authority. Chanyeol is still embracing him tight while they wait for the stretcher.

"We're gonna take you both to the hospital." Chanyeol gulps when Baekhyun becomes unresponsive in his arms, "Listen baby...h-hold on, okay? O-Open your eyes, p-please."

He can't.

Baekhyun can't.

x

_"The suspect reportedly terrorized the Byun's only son, almost killing him in the process. The authority fortunately arrived before he could. The suspect will be under interrogation this week and is currently detained at Seoul Detention Center._

_The suspect is known to everyone as BEPE's Vice President, currently running the company before the incident as a result of the recent supposed death of its' previous President, Park Chanyeol, who's also Byun Baekhyun's spouse. Turns out, Park Chanyeol has been framed up for the crime, making him hide from the authorities until he gathered the strong evidences he turned over to the police that night. The said man's death was also faked by the same suspect._

_Meanwhile, the brother of Oh Sehun's adoptive mother; Jang Yeonseo, is said to be the mastermind of the conspiracy against the Byun's. He was arrested last night at his hotel penthouse and is set to be interrogated this week as well. Multiple witnesses have revealed themselves, pointing the same suspects. One of the witnesses testifying will be Oh Sehun's adoptive mother herself, who had always been aware of her son's crimes. The authorities are yet to release more statement regarding this case._

_Byun Baekhyun is currently recovering at SNUH, suffering major injuries from the kidnapping. Park Chanyeol is expected to take the position back for both BEPE and Flair as soon as his husband recovers. More updates regarding this news will—"_

"I told you not to watch that here." Chanyeol tells Jongdae and Minseok as soon as he walks inside, catching them on the act before they turned the TV off.

Minseok smiles sheepishly while Jongdae narrows his eyes at the TV.

"The versions of the story keep on changing." Jongdae scoffs, "Can you believe they assumed Baekhyun and Sehun had a relationship? How twisted is that?"

Chanyeol flashes a small smile. He starts peeling fruits for all of them.

"They had though." Chanyeol shrugs while looking at the fruits on his hands, "Maybe not what they're thinking of, but still...they were friends. At least to Baekhyun."

Minseok looks at Chanyeol, "What did the doctors say?"

Chanyeol looks at him, then to Jongdae who's also waiting for his response. He takes a deep breath before looking at his husband who's facing the other side.

"They endorsed him to a specialist." he sighs, "Still under observation."

They drown into another silence, obviously worried. Jongdae tries to lift the atmosphere up by smiling at them before walking towards his best friend's bed. He gently hugs him.

"Baek will surely recover soon. He's been through this before, he can surely—" his eyes rounded when he comes face to face with Baekhyun staring at him, "B-Baek?!"

Baekhyun blankly stares at him, not even blinking.

The three of them surround him, suddenly afraid of his lack of response.

"A-Are you okay?" Minseok stutters.

Baekhyun looks at him before nodding. Chanyeol only watches him, brows slightly creased.

"Have you been awake for a while now?" Jongdae asks gently. Baekhyun also nods.

The couple looks at each other, not knowing what to ask now.

"Do you want anything?" Jongdae asks again, "I-Is something painful?"

Baekhyun finally glances at Chanyeol before looking at them again. The three of them hold their breath, afraid that this might be an effect by his injury. The both of them are praying it's not a memory loss.

Then he finally breaks into a small smile.

"I'm fine guys..."

"_Jesus..."_

_"Is he serious?"_

Chanyeol smiles, but it falters when Baekhyun meaningfully glances at him again. He purses his lips and calls for their attention.

"Guys..." Chanyeol timidly smiles, "Can you leave us for a while?"

Jongdae's lips parted, "Oh...uh, should we call a nurse?"

"Later." Chanyeol assures them, "You can eat first. We'll be fine."

The couple immediately understands. Jongdae places a kiss on Baekhyun's forehead before the both of them decide to leave the room for a while.

Chanyeol sits beside him when they're left alone, lifting his hand to press his lips against it. Baekhyun watches him, his heart beating frantically.

"W-Where's Sehun?"

Both of Chanyeol's brows raise in intrigue, "That's really what you ask me first, huh?" he sighs when Baekhyun looks at him seriously, "He's already in jail, still being interrogated, but rest assured he'll stay there for good." he says, "He's also seeing a psychiatrist."

Baekhyun nods. Even when he heard the news a while ago, he still felt the need to be assured by Chanyeol.

He gulps, "Kyungsoo?" he breathes, "I-Is he okay? Please tell me he is..."

Chanyeol falls silent. Baekhyun grips his hand as if begging.

"He's still not awake." Chanyeol says truthfully, twisting Baekhyun's heart even more. "But he will. He'll be okay. Jongin's taking good care of him."

Baekhyun is tired, but the tears won't seem to stop. He's so traumatized. Even trying to suppress his memories is hard when they flash back in his head, as vivid as the moments themselves.

He doesn't know if he can forgive himself if something terrible happens to Kyungsoo. He saved him, but he couldn't do the same.

"Hey...don't cry."

"I-I could've saved him Chanyeol..." Baekhyun says faintly, "I c-could've seen Sehun approaching a-and...and then tell him. O-Or I should've blocked it with my o-own body."

"Stop it." Chanyeol scolds him, shifting closer to him. "Either way, Sehun will harm the both of you. We should just be thankful that you're safe now. Kyungsoo will be okay."

Baekhyun shuts his eyes tight, leaning against Chanyeol while the latter wipes his tears. He gulps before asking about what's been bothering him since the said night.

"Chanyeol..." he calls, almost a whisper. "Why can't I feel my leg?"

Chanyeol looks at him, gaze pained.

Baekhyun embraces him tight, burying his face on his chest as fear fills his heart.

"I-It's a critical injury, Baek." he mumbles against his hair while Baekhyun continues to hug him, "Your knee was severely damaged by what happened...the specialists are still exploring different possible treatments."

Baekhyun pulls away, biting his lip so hard. He can't seem to let Chanyeol hear his question. But Chanyeol holds him reassuringly.

"W-Will I still be able to walk, Chanyeol?" he huffs deep breaths as his glistening eyes look directly at his husband, "Please don't lie..."

"Of course." Chanyeol tells him. The conviction in his voice somewhat made Baekhyun feel better, "I'm getting the best specialists in the city. We just need to trust them, alright? You'll be treated."

Baekhyun sniffs.

"What if I don't?" he gulps, "How will I be able to take care of you? What if I completely lose my leg?"

"I'll take care of you." Chanyeol emphasizes himself, "You won't lose anything. And even if you do, I'm still here. I'll walk you everywhere, I promise that."

Baekhyun groans, making Chanyeol laugh lightly. He wraps his arm around his shoulders to hug him tight.

"When I saw you that night, filled with blood and almost dying, nothing mattered anymore Baek." he mumbles softly, "When they told me your leg was severely injured, or when Sehun refused to admit anything, I'm sorry...but it barely mattered to me." he says, "All I could think about was that you're alive. I became almost passive, because all I needed was for you to wake up. To live."

Baekhyun's brows creases while he continuously gulps. He's looking straight at Chanyeol's face, while the latter is looking into space.

"But I realize how important all of these are for you. I don't want you to lose hope now, Baek." he finally smiles at him, "Now that all of it is finally over. We can finally start anew. We can finally leave all those terrible years we had. I won't make you hope if there's really nothing to hope for. That would be the worst thing to do." Chanyeol pecks on his forehead, "You just have to trust me. It will be fine. I'll always be here. You never left when I lost myself, what makes you think I'll leave you if you lose a leg?"

Chanyeol lightly plays with his hand.

"Are we good now?"

Baekhyun looks at the smile forming on his lips, making him smile too. He finally nods.

"I have something to show you."

Chanyeol partly stands up to pull his phone out of his pocket. He sits back on Baekhyun's side, fiddling on his phone with a small grin on his face. Baekhyun waits for it. When Chanyeol finally stops, he pulls the phone close to his chest, staring at Baekhyun while suppressing a big smile.

"What?" Baekhyun's eyes rounded.

Chanyeol flashes a photo in front of him. It's a picture of Yeri and his mother, doing a jumpshot. Baekhyun smiles, narrowing his eyes to see it better. When he does, his small smile fades.

He looks at Chanyeol who's now smiling at him widely.

"T-The house?"

With a big smile, Chanyeol nods. "It's almost done."

Baekhyun looks at it again, his heart melting while looking at the details he had always imagined. The genuine smiles on his mother and sister's faces. It makes him the happiest.

"H-How..."

"Yeri." Chanyeol smiles, "I asked her a favor to proceed with our plans. It's the only thing I asked from her when all of those were happening. I only guided her every now and then since I needed to hide."

Baekhyun stares at him in awe. Despite everything, Chanyeol still made sure their plans are continued.

His eyes feel warm. He doesn't know if he deserves him. It's too much.

"Just needs a little more flourishing, then it's all good." Chanyeol says while zooming on his phone, not aware of Baekhyun's fond stare at him. "Once you recover and we go back there, we can already move in. Isn't that nice?"

Baekhyun pulls his face and kisses his cheek a couple of times. Chanyeol looks taken aback at first, but enjoys it right then.

"Thank you..." Baekhyun mumbles, his nose touching the taller's cheek, "For this...for everything."

Chanyeol grins heartily. He tilts his face a little to place a kiss on Baekhyun's cheek too.

"I wanted to give the both of us something to look forward to." he smiles, "It didn't seem so hard to go through all of that when I think of you as an endpoint. The house, marriage, babies..." he kisses him again, "It was so motivating."

Baekhyun smiles. His heart feels like exploding.

"You give me all the reasons to go on, Baek. And you should finally know that." he pokes his nose, "This is how I repay you. I hope you love it."

He's about to lean for another kiss when a bunch of coos enters the room. It's not only Jongin, Jongdae and Minseok who are back, Yeri and Mrs. Ahn are finally there too, carrying a bunch of food. They squeal in happiness while looking at Baekhyun who's finally awake. Chanyeol automatically stands up and leaves him hanging from a supposed kiss, joining his other friends while they tease Jongin who's wearing a neat white coat.

"Shut up! I'm here for a checkup!" Jongin glares at them, more laughter reverberating around the room.

Baekhyun watches them silently, smiling to his heart's content.

When Chanyeol glances at him with a smile, the urge to tell him; tell him he's also his endpoint. Throughout all these years, all these troubles and pain, Chanyeol is always the prize.

Out of everything and everyone, being with Chanyeol is something he's mostly looking forward to. One day, he'll have to tell him that.


	32. Epilogue

"Happy new year, Baekhyun-ah..."

She's smiling, but her gaze is unsettled, roaming elsewhere but his eyes. Her hands are tightly clasped on her lap.

Baekhyun smiles at her reassuringly but she still won't look at him.

"I hope you had a good holiday with your family...and Chanyeol..." she laughs uneasily, "I-I'm sorry for bothering you today...w-when you're s-supposed to be celebrating with your family..."

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Oh. It's okay. You can always call me whenever you want." he holds her hands on her lap, "I'm not really busy too."

He sees the way she gulps, trying to blink away the tears forming in her eyes.

"T-This cake you made looks delicious." she says as she keeps her smile.

Baekhyun chuckles, "It is. Chanyeol recommended that. You can share it there with Sehun."

This time, her smile finally fades and the pain in her eyes becomes even more visible. She wipes the side of her eyes while slowly nodding.

"Y-You're so kind." she says, finally looking at him. "Thank you for everything, Baekhyun."

He smiles at her, gulping the lump forming in his throat when he hears how hard she keeps her voice from breaking.

"You're like a mother to me. I'll always be here for you."

She bites her lip before sniffing, "A-After everything h-he did to you..."

Baekhyun falls silent. He watches her crying while trying to keep his own tears from falling. God knows how much it hurts him seeing this woman shoulder all the guilt for something she didn't do. She feels like she needs to pay for all the mistakes Sehun had done.

He gulps the lump in his throat, forcing another smile to comfort her. Baekhyun nods with conviction.

"It's not your fault..." he tells her, "I've forgiven him too."

She nods frantically, trying to cover her tears. Baekhyun gently pulls her shoulder to give her an embrace. Something he knows she needs the most. As soon as he feels her clutching onto his back while sobbing on his shoulder, he's then right.

For almost a year, Baekhyun had seen all the aftermath of the bad things that happened to him. Both good and bad. Both expected and unexpected. But one person that has been so affected by everything is Mrs. Oh herself. She has seen all the downfall her son had and because of that, she felt so wrong just because she did something right.

Baekhyun had seen her deal with the backlash towards her family, watch her son completely break down and most of all, lose everything she had. By then, Baekhyun realized that his grudge could not make him less of a human. He had every bit of empathy for her. People told him not to forget, but who said he would?

He will forgive, but forgetting will be quite a long process.

Of all the lessons he realized, one thing that he learned the most after those terrible years was that everything you do, no matter how small or big it might be, affects everyone around you greatly. Especially those who love you under any circumstances. Just like Sehun and his mom.

Baekhyun watches from the distance. Mrs. Oh is patiently waiting in the visitor's area, fiddling her hands on her lap. Her eyes are worn out but Baekhyun can still see the anticipation in them. She became even more frail-looking throughout the months, weight lost becoming more evident. Baekhyun catches her glance from the distance so he smiles at her encouragingly, lifting both his thumbs up. She responds with a smile and nod.

Her gaze only leaves Baekhyun when her son finally enters the room from the other side, wearing dark blue clothes that are identical to the other detainees in the room. Baekhyun can barely look at him, unwanted memories keep flashing in his mind. His chest twists painfully just by the mere sight of Sehun. But instead of avoiding it and leaving, he remains standing there. There's no way he'll leave Mrs. Oh alone.

Deep inside, he also sees this as an opportunity to overcome and heal himself through the way he knows. It's not going to be easy and fast, but it's a good first step.

So he watches on the corner, intently keeping an eye on them. He can tell how much Sehun changed. It is drastic. He won't be lying if he says he's not hurt by this at all. They were friends for so long.

And even he already expected it based on the woman's stories of disappointment, his heart can't still help wrenching as he watches her full attempt on making him speak to her. She's smiling brightly while sitting on her wheel chair, struggling to move yet happily unpacks the food she brought. Sehun is only blankly staring on the table, head dangling in front. His lips are pursed tightly, eyes looking so dead. The growing stubble above his lips are quite visible even from where he is. Baekhyun can tell he's not taking care of himself here.

The smiles on Mrs. Oh's face are faltering every now and then. Every time she tries her best but won't receive even the slightest response from her son. Baekhyun admires her courage, for not giving up on Sehun even if he already gave up on himself. But hey, that's how love works, right?

He sees her gulping before proceeding to unpack the food they brought, telling stories with so much enthusiasm. Sehun doesn't even budge when she reaches out for his hand. This time, Baekhyun can finally see her eyes glistening. When she pulls it away, her shoulders are already heaving. But like before, she continues to prepare a food for him.

Sehun tilts his head away when she tries feeding him, his eyes not leaving the same space. Baekhyun watches worriedly, seeing how his jaw slightly clenches, murmuring something. He's probably not in a stable mood again. This might not be the best time. Mrs. Oh takes another gulp, struggling to keep the encouraging smile on her face as she tries again.

"I said leave me alone!"

Baekhyun immediately stands up from where he's sitting, eyes widening as he watches everything on the table being harshly shoved away. Other visitors and detainees are looking at them yet can't do anything to stop him. Baekhyun pants heavily. Seeing him this violent gives him a hard time breathing. Hearing his voice alone wakes up a fear deep in Baekhyun's system. He badly wants to walk towards Mrs. Oh and pull her away from him but the way he trembles on his spot tells him it's not a good idea. Coming face to face with the said man will not only worsen things for him, but for Sehun and his mom as well.

So he signals the guard beside him to pull her away from Sehun. Baekhyun can still feel his heart beating frantically against his chest.

Mrs. Oh starts crying, trying to reach out for Sehun's hand but he hastily moves it away. She's saying something, _pleading. _But Sehun's gaze remains hard and estranged.

"Leave!"

She's sobbing hard, yet doesn't remove her gaze from her son even when her wheelchair is already taken away by a guard towards the exit. Baekhyun waits for her with a heavy heart, glancing back at Sehun who's glaring at the floor, fists tightened.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." she sobs as soon as she reaches Baekhyun. He nods slowly while caressing her shoulders. Even with a struggle, Baekhyun stands up and volunteers to push her wheelchair outside. He takes one last look at Sehun behind them and is surprised to see him looking at them, obviously surprised but still indifferent. When Baekhyun meets his gaze, he looks away, gulping as he turns away to go back inside his cell.

It's hard to watch Mrs. Oh being like that for a couple of times now. Baekhyun has always been so generous when it comes to her. He gave her a small decent house to live when everything Sehun had was taken away and got a nurse to take good care of her. He would always visit her when he had the time, making sure she's aware someone's still there.

Baekhyun watches her being carried back inside the car, still crying from what happened. His heart hurts for her. He had given her a lot but he knows it's not what she truly wishes for.

It is for her son to be okay. And that's what Baekhyun couldn't give.

Baekhyun spaces out in the car right after they dropped her off to her house. She assured Baekhyun she's fine but he already knew too well. So even when it's absurd to hear it from him, he enthusiastically promised her they'll visit him again next time, not missing the hint of hope in her eyes as she agreed.

One day, she'll be completely fine. He looks forward to that.

Baekhyun decides to pay a visit at the cemetery, after missing the chance to do so in the holidays. He realized it's actually a good decision since there's only a few people there now. He still finds it difficult to walk, so having to deal with crowded places is something he wants to avoid. As soon as he gets there, he sees his usual spot, smiling to himself as he gets closer.

When he finally sees the two tombs together, his heart wrenches a little. The longing is still there. But it should be, right?

Baekhyun spaces out for a little while, delving into his deep thoughts after his prayers. He feels proud of himself. He feels proud of being able to face the people who did this to them without feeling the rage he used to keep in his chest. Because that's what they would've wanted.

They are proud of him as well. He knows that.

"Happy holidays, Mom." he gulps, "Dad."

He stayed there for a while, lighting up a candle while keeping himself comfortable in the silence. He would randomly talk about something once a thought came up in his mind, as if they're just there beside him. But most of the time, Baekhyun would only look around, appreciate the feeling of ease and warmth. His heart is at peace.

He did that; a decision he had to as a son. Baekhyun had his parents buried side by side, wanting to make up those years of mishaps and loneliness. His parents might not be meant to be together but that didn't make them love each other any less. His Mom is his father's confidante, no matter how much he loved someone else romantically, she was his best ally. And that goes the same for her.

Now they'll be together for real, probably reuniting somewhere and being the best of friends they were, looking after their son. The thought alone makes him smile.

The sun has begun to set, so even with a little struggle, Baekhyun finally decides to stand up from the grass. He looks at the graves one last time as he bids his goodbye.

As soon as he enters the car, exhaustion dawns upon him, knocking him off to sleep.

Baekhyun wakes up just in time, the car is already parking into their garage. He rubs his puffy eyes, thanking the driver before hopping off to go to the mansion. When he gets inside, he smells the dinner being served from the dining area. And just as he predicted, his stomach starts rumbling.

"Good evening, Baekhyun!" a maid greets him enthusiastically. He smiles back when she finally remembers his wish to address them casually, especially after seeing her scratching her head. "Ah...I'm still not used to it...but uh—Sir—I mean...Chanyeol made us prepare your favorite tonight and told us to make you eat as soon as you arrive."

"You'll get used to it." he grins and sits on the chair as soon as they placed a plate in front of him. Baekhyun proceeds to getting a food and eating, obviously eager to fill his stomach.

"So where is he? I assume he already ate a lot." he chuckles in between eating. He can even tell Chanyeol only made an excuse when this is obviously his favorite as well.

"Uh...he hasn't eaten yet, Sir—Baekhyun...I mean."

Baekhyun instinctively stops, looking at them while his mouth is filled with food. He suddenly feels guilty about eating on his own.

The maid noticed this, blinking rapidly. "Well...he told us he's not hungry yet, Sir...and that you should go on." she smiles sheepishly when Baekhyun remains staring at her with his bloated cheeks, "He's in his office, Sir—Baekhyun..._aish._"

Baekhyun blinks slowly and takes another spoonful of food. He drinks his glass of water and stands up from his seat, walking past the maid who was about to try stopping him.

"Practice the first name basis, Jungah." he says while stepping up the stairs, hearing a sigh from the maid.

Baekhyun stops in front of his husband's office, contemplating whether he should knock or let him finish whatever he's doing. He's certain that he took some of his work home again. Chanyeol never learns. Baekhyun is still pissed about having dinner without knowing Chanyeol didn't have his own yet.

Is this really how marriage life is supposed to work?

He ends up knocking twice and proceeding to twist the doorknob open, which isn't locked. Chanyeol doesn't even notice him, his head almost diving into the pile of papers on his desk. Baekhyun crosses his arms over his chest, leaning to the door beside him with his brow raised.

"Ehem."

The businessman finally looks up at him, brows slightly creased. His reading glasses are already sliding down the bridge of his nose. He looks so busy and worn out, maybe a little sexy because of that loosened tie around his neck and unbuttoned part of his polo. Baekhyun had to gulp before reminding himself what he's there for: to scold him!

Chanyeol's face softens when he sees him, leaning back on his chair as he takes a deep sigh. He flashes a big smile at Baekhyun, contrary to his uptight and serious face a while ago. Baekhyun steps towards his desk.

"What did I say about skipping dinner?"

"Huh?" Chanyeol asks innocently as he stands up from his chair and walks around to the other side to kiss his temple. He looks at his wristwatch when Baekhyun throws him a sharp look, "It's still quarter to nine though, technically I can still eat and it's not skipping..."

"Ah." Baekhyun raises his brows while looking up at his husband's now goofy smile, wrapping his long arms around him. "Now you're trying to reason out with me..."

"Hmm...I'm not skipping. I already ate so I'm not hungry."

"What time did you get home then?" Baekhyun asks even when Chanyeol's already burying his face on his nape. The latter suddenly falls silent, "Don't dare lie, the maids always side with me."

"Five...?"

Baekhyun pulls away from his hold. He glares at Chanyeol who's already looking guilty.

"And you've been working since then." Baekhyun says with certainty, "So you haven't eaten yet, ass."

Chanyeol glances at his desk before holding onto both sides of his waist, "Sorry, baby...I'm just really busy."

Baekhyun stares at him before letting out a big sigh. This is only one of the many instances where the companies have completely taken over Chanyeol's time and attention. He feels bad for him, but at the same time, he won't deny it's pissing him off too. He soon melts down when his husband wraps him in a full embrace. He can hear his stable breathing against his hair and Baekhyun can only hug him back when his knees began feeling weak.

"Do you want me to just bring your food here?"

Chanyeol hums before shaking his head, still not letting go. Baekhyun gently caresses his back, very much aware how he's helping Chanyeol to feel at ease.

"Is everything okay in the office?"

His husband hums again as an only response. Baekhyun nods even when it didn't sound convincing at all. It only took a short while before Chanyeol sighed against his hair, placing a few pecks on his head.

"More unsettled projects start popping up recently...from the previous management. The board was pressuring me about it." he says in a low voice, chuckling gently. "It's almost fixed, don't worry...I've already settled most of the issues. We're just finalizing it now so we can show them the transparency they're demanding and they can finally shut the fuck up."

Baekhyun pulls away from his embrace, staring directly at his face.

"Then we should just postpone the—"

"Nope, no we're not." Chanyeol shakes his head and smiles at him tauntingly, "Speaking of that, have you packed your things?"

He only nods his head as a response.

"Good." Chanyeol partly sits on the edge of his desk, allowing Baekhyun to finally be at the same level of his face.

"How about her?" he asks hesitantly, "Is she okay?"

Chanyeol nods with a beam, "Completely fine. I've sent her everything she needs. I also check up on her every now and then." he touches Baekhyun's hand, "Dae and Minseok are extending their leave to wait for us there since they celebrated the holidays with Jongdae's family. I'll finish everything tomorrow so we can leave without worries this weekend."

Chanyeol really has everything taken care of. He makes anything easy for Baekhyun.

His smile slightly fades when Baekhyun remains staring at him.

"What?" he smiles rather sweetly.

"Nothing..." Baekhyun answers while caressing his hair with his fingers, "You should go and continue that now."

"But I'm tired..." Chanyeol whines, tilting his head against his hand on his hair.

Baekhyun smiles a little, "Then just eat your dinner..."

"I'm not hungry..." Chanyeol's lips protruded a little, "You've already snatched my whole attention and interest, how can I be productive?"

Chanyeol watches the little smile lingering on Baekhyun's face, his eyes following the movements of his hand on his hair. Chanyeol can simply look at him, undeniably captivated.

Baekhyun's gaze catches him before leaning to his face for a swift kiss, "You've worked so hard, Chanyeol..."

Chanyeol stares at him in awe, lips parted from the very quick kiss.

"Is that...for working hard?"

Baekhyun smiles, "And for making things easier for your employees, for the companies, for everyone around you." his hands touch his face, "For me too."

Chanyeol's gaze softens because of his words. Baekhyun can see his effect on him and it makes him smile even more. At least they're on the same page.

The taller gulps before flashing a sly smile.

"Don't I deserve like...a make-out for that?"

Baekhyun smiles wider, "Just make-out?"

He hears a hard cuss from Chanyeol as he stands up, reaching out for his waist to kiss him this time. Baekhyun tilts his head to kiss him deeper, holding onto his arms while Chanyeol pulls him closer. He parts his lips when Chanyeol demands an entrance, making him take a small step backward because of the latter's eagerness.

Baekhyun finally breathes when Chanyeol pulls away for a while, hands roaming down to his bum as his kisses travel onto his jaw. He suddenly feels a quick jolt of pain on his knee when Chanyeol leans a little harder on his neck, causing him to almost lose his balance. Fortunately, Chanyeol is quick enough to hold him before he falls on the floor, his eyes widening.

"Fuck—Sorry..._fuck, _I'm so sorry baby." he breathes raggedly, holding his arms tight. Baekhyun lets out a silly laughter, watching as Chanyeol goes from almost manhandling him so keenly to holding him like a vulnerable vase.

Chanyeol lifts him onto the desk, rubbing his hand on his leg.

"Does it hurt?"

"No..." Baekhyun shakes his head and pulls him closer, "Probably just got surprised..." he sees the reluctance in Chanyeol's eyes so he initiates kissing him once more, "short leggies probably couldn't wait wrapping themselves...around you."

They kiss longer as he sits on the desk, Chanyeol standing between his legs while pulling him closer. As if he can't get enough. It didn't take too long before he feels something hard poking against his thigh.

Baekhyun pulls away breathlessly, "We can't do this here..." Chanyeol plays deaf, continuously sucking onto his neck. "Yeol, the door isn't locked..."

"Hmm..."'

"Don't tell me this is one of your kinks..." Baekhyun's whisper is already mixed with a moan when he feels a hand travelling up his thigh, "Chanyeol...come on, someone might barge in..."

"This is our house." Chanyeol whispers back to him before going back to his lips, "We can have sex wherever the fuck we want..."

"But your documents." Baekhyun interrupts one more time, finally earning him a look from his husband. He looks at him pleadingly, "Let's go to our bed, please."

Chanyeol cusses under his breath and Baekhyun knows he succeeded. He gets lifted up by his strong arms, in which he responds with an embrace around his neck.

"You're going to regret making me wait like this." Chanyeol huffs against his ear while taking big steps towards their room. Baekhyun only chuckles. Will he, really?

They made love, over and over again. As if Chanyeol doesn't have a work issue to deal with. As if Baekhyun didn't just recover from a leg injury, or the possibility of someone hearing his shameless screams within the walls of their bedroom. _Jesus_, _when will Chanyeol make them soundproof? _Baekhyun is pretty sure they've already made enough noise to bother anyone close to their room. This is one of the moments he wishes the maids to sleep earlier. What they do is totally...bothersome.

They decided to stop when Baekhyun already complained about his tired legs. He's already whining against the sheet, eyes too heavy to even look and say a simple good night. Chanyeol only smiles while covering him with a comforter after he cleaned him up. He's already tired too, but watching his slightly pouting husband makes him want to stay awake a little longer despite knowing it's going to be a long day again the next day. Another day of having to miss him again while looking forward to coming home.

Being married for the second time, for real and with the love of your life is just perfection, isn't it?

Baekhyun is too close to dozing off to sleep when he feels a weight behind him. Chanyeol lays down on his back, eyes on the ceiling while Baekhyun's back faces him.

"Baek?" he asks, a little hopeful he's still conscious to respond. "Baek, are you asleep?"

"Hmm..."

Chanyeol smiles, "Nothing much..." he mumbles, "Just wanna ask if you're sure you don't want to have our honeymoon abroad?" he asks despite knowing his husband is already too drowsy to make something out of his words, "We can still have one...before we go to South Jeolla."

He doesn't answer immediately. Chanyeol assumes he's asleep.

"No..." he mumbles sleepily, "Let's just stay home...I like home, baby."

Chanyeol chuckles, "Okay. I love you, good night."

Baekhyun doesn't say anything right after. Chanyeol smiles and closes his eyes.

Then he feels a movement beside him, an arm wrapping around his waist and a head on his chest.

"Chanyeollie, I love you..."

He manages to say it before he completely passes out. How could he forget that? It's what Chanyeol always has to know.

It hasn't been that long since he fell asleep, Baekhyun is sure, basing from his heavy eyelids. It's still deafeningly silent too. So he doesn't understand why Chanyeol is up so early, watching him like some kind of a drama while his hand is on his hair. The first thing he instinctively does is frown at him. He doesn't understand why Chanyeol is being weird in such an ungodly hour.

"Chanyeol..." Baekhyun groans without opening his eyes and stretches his back, "For god's sake, go to sleep..."

"Baekhyun..."

Chanyeol's voice is gentle, Baekhyun is even more lulled to sleep. His gentle caress on his face isn't even helping.

"Baekhyun-ah..." he calls again when Baekhyun refuses to open his eyes, "Baek. Baby, wake up."

"Why..." he scratches his neck while groaning in annoyance.

"I have something to tell you..." he can tell his husband is smiling even without opening his eyes, "Wake up, please?"

"I'm awake..." Baekhyun says with his eyes closed.

"Look at me and listen, come on."

Baekhyun slowly opens his eyes, still feeling groggy from the interrupted sleep. The first thing he sees is Chanyeol's handsome face right in front of him, suppressing a smile.

"What is it..."

"We need to go to Jeollanam-do now." Chanyeol says and Baekhyun's eyes open wider, "As in now."

Baekhyun stares at him for a while before croaking out, "Why?"

Chanyeol finally smiles heartily at him, "It's our son, baby." he says gently, "Jihyun is now in labor."

x

Baekhyun has never seen anyone giving birth.

Nor did he ever expect to see an actual one. It had always sounded so painful. He used to feel so bad for mothers struggling with delivering babies. He always thought how unfair it was that the fathers only wait outside, sitting on empty bleachers while all they had to do was pray for their wives' safe delivery. It had always seemed so easy.

But now he finally understands.

Now that he's the one sitting uneasily on the hospital lobby. Now that they're waiting, not being able to do anything but sit there and hope for the best. Baekhyun sat there while grasping on Chanyeol's hand, sleepless and nervous. It's indeed, not easy.

"Hey," someone calls for them, two cups of warm coffee in his hands. "Jongin called and told me to make sure you both don't pass out from nervousness. Loosen up."

Chanyeol smiles and receives the cup to hand it to his spacing out husband. He smiles at their friend who sits beside them with a coffee of his own.

"Thanks Soo." he says and Kyungsoo only grins.

"Hey, hey." the latter calls Baekhyun, tapping his back with encouragement, "Everything's going to be fine, daddy."

Baekhyun looks at him, "Love you, Kyung..."

"_Ugh_, please."

"Where's the baby?!"

The three of them look towards the elevator where Jongdae's voice is already distinguished from everyone else.

Kyungsoo sighs, "Jesus..."

"Why are you there, where is the baby?" Jongdae asks continuously, Minseok trailing behind him.

"She's currently giving birth." Chanyeol says.

"Oh my god!"

"Jongdae don't tell me you'll be that loud once we get to see him." Kyungsoo glowers at him, "Babies are not allowed to be exposed to heavy noise."

"Wow, thanks for the info _I-fuck-a-doctor-so-I'm-suddenly-a-doctor_ doctor."

"Cunt."

The two continue to bicker while Minseok and Chanyeol speak to each other. Baekhyun remains sitting silently on the corner, hands clasped while waiting for news. When a nurse walks toward where they are, he sits straight while fidgeting.

"Mr. Byun, Mr. Park?"

Chanyeol holds his hand again, the both of them standing up to hear what she has to say. Baekhyun can feel his heart frantically beating against his chest.

She smiles.

"She had a successful delivery. Baby Park is now in the nursery room."

Baekhyun lets out a huge sigh of relief, their friends squealing in joy behind them. Chanyeol clasps their hands together, smiling at him happily that makes his heart float even more.

"She's okay...right?"

"She's currently resting, Sir."

The nurse leaves after bringing them the news. Baekhyun looks at his friends, Jongdae and Minseok tearing up while Kyungsoo is simply smiling. He bites his lip and spreads his arms to hug them altogether. Kyungsoo smiles even more when he catches Baekhyun wiping the corner of his eye.

Jongdae completely breaks down to tears, even ahead any of them. Kyungsoo nods at Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

"We're so happy for the both of you." he says sincerely, "Go on and see him first."

Baekhyun nods before taking his husband's hand, walking towards the end of the hall. Their steps are almost synchronized, earning a smile from each other when they realize what they're doing.

It might've been the biggest risk Chanyeol and Baekhyun took together. Deciding to start a family of their own is probably one of the major steps they have always been so willing to commit. They had a lot of options, but the both of them wanted something they've always wished to have; their own children.

And it wasn't easy. Having to find the best ones who do artificial insemination, looking for the right person to be their surrogate and having to endure such a long and complicated process almost made them give up. The couple had moments when they barely knew what they were doing. Whether they did it right or wrong. All they knew was they wanted it so bad. They look forward to one moment, and it's finally here. Without warnings or time to prepare themselves; they're finally going to see their first child.

Among all the things Chanyeol did for him, he only asked one from Baekhyun. It's for their first child to be Baekhyun's biological son.

"What?"

Chanyeol looks at him when he stops walking. They're only a few meters from the nursery room and Baekhyun needed a brief moment to breathe. He looks at Chanyeol worriedly, as if hesitating to go and see it right now.

But the taller walks back to where he is, holding his face between his hands.

"What are you so worried about?" he asks with a small smile, "Our angel probably wants to see us too, come on now, Baek."

Baekhyun gulps and walks ahead of him. Chanyeol can only chuckle in defeat as he follows him.

When Baekhyun finally sees a bunch of babies through the glass window, covered in soft cloths. He roams his eyes around and catches the attention of the nurse on-duty, who signals the couple to come inside.

There's a small fear inside him. What if they fail to take care of this child? What if they fail as parents? Are they even ready?

It's like the same jitters all over again.

Baekhyun nervously stands there, while Chanyeol enthusiastically walks inside. He tells the surname to the nurse who immediately spots the baby they're looking for. Baekhyun is right behind Chanyeol, heart hammering against his chest when the nurse carefully lifts up someone covered in sky blue cloth. Chanyeol offers his hands voluntarily, scooping the baby who became even smaller in Chanyeol's arms. Baekhyun can't help his tears anymore. All the hesitations he had suddenly faltered just by seeing the both of them.

"Oh...look at him..." Chanyeol mumbles breathlessly, trying not to wake the sleeping baby up. "Baekhyun...he looks just like you."

Baekhyun sobs heavily, "T-They all look the same." he says that had Chanyeol laughing, "I w-wanna see..."

"Hello, dada..." Chanyeol whispers when Baekhyun watches the little infant. They both watch him in awe, hearts floating in happiness.

Baekhyun barely noticed Chanyeol's glistening eyes, continuously gulping while he watches their son.

"C-Can you believe he's six pounds heavy?" his voice breaks, "So chunky...like dada."

Baekhyun watches him while pressing his chin against Chanyeol's shoulder. He gently touches the baby's hand with his finger.

"H-He really looks like me..." he laughs. Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol who's subtly wiping his eyes, "Are you crying?"

Chanyeol sniffs before smiling again, not removing his eyes from the child.

"Just happy." he looks at Baekhyun who's already staring at him, "It's like having another version of you...I can't believe I get to be so lucky."

Baekhyun holds onto his nape to place a tender kiss on his cheek. Chanyeol smiles cheekily, yet barely able to remove his eyes from the small ray of sunshine in his arms. Baekhyun can't even complain.

"You promised you'll be next, okay?" Baekhyun mumbles against his shoulder, "I should have another Chanyeol too."

Chanyeol laughs, "I'll give you Chanyeola."

Baekhyun chuckles while pinching him lightly, Chanyeol passes the child to him this time. He's indeed heavy for a newborn, yet holding him makes everything light for him. He can't wait until they finally see his eyes, or hear his tiny cry. Parenting really makes you cheesy, Baekhyun realizes he needs to accept that from now on.

He can't believe he's claiming it as early as now. But there's something about their son that's just so warm and peaceful. So yes, they're going to be the best dads ever. They will. And one day, if ever one of them gets tired, they only need to be reminded of this day. Out of the thousand other good ones. They only need to remember what it feels like.

"Should we think of possible names?"

"What are you talking about, I've already got a hundred listed here..."

"So that's why you're reading Mommy blogs, huh Chanyeol?"

"Wh-You're judging me now? It's for this!"

Feels like home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the story! Thank you so much for reaching this part. This was written a few years ago so I apologize if there were some noticeable mistakes since I haven't found the time to edit. The next story would be Pride (KaiSoo) which is ongoing and an entirely different AU. :)
> 
> I hope you can leave comments about what you thought about it, too! If you want to ask me anything or just talk to me, we can do it on twitter! (yeolimerent) 
> 
> Love u tons. ^-^


End file.
